Effects of Physical Exercise on Hepatic Biomarkers in Adult Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effects of physical exercise on hepatic biomarkers in adult individuals. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA recommendations and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022337749). MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched, using the terms of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) “exercise”, “liver diseases”, and “biomarkers”. Results: Fourteen studies achieved eligibility with a total of 485 participants. Interventions ranged from 4 to 12 weeks, lasting 24 to 90 minutes per session, with 3 to 5 sessions per week. Interventions with aerobic and resistance exercises, with or without a vibration device and diet implementation, demonstrated a reduction in different hepatic biomarkers, such as aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin (ALB), ferritin (Fe), and indirect bilirubin (Bil). The main results of the meta-analysis showed no significant difference in ALB, GGT, AST, and ALP. However, there was a significant difference in ALT (SMD: – 0.41; 95% CI: – 0.71 to -0.11; p = 0.008; I2 = 0%). Conclusion: Physical exercise (e.g., resistance training, aerobic training, high-intensity interval training) favored the reduction of AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, ALB, Fe, and Bil. This study pointed out that the regular practice of physical exercise can be an efficient and recommended strategy to minimize the deleterious effects of liver diseases. Keywords: exercise; liver disease; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; biomarkers; resistance training; high-intensity interval training.