Impact of a 12-Week Randomized Exercise Training Program on Lipid Profile in Severely Obese Patients Following Bariatric Surgery

Purpose The benefit of exercise training on lipid profile in bariatric surgery patients is scarce. We assess the effect of a supervised exercise-training program on lipid profile following bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods A total of 60 patients were prospectively recruited, of those 49 completed the study (age 41 ± 11 years; body mass index 45.9 ± 6.1 kg/m 2 , 75% women). The bariatric surgery procedures performed were sleeve gastrectomy (SG) ( n = 24) and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) ( n = 25). Of the 49 patients who completed the study, 34 had been randomized to a 12-week supervised exercise training program (exercise group) between the 3rd and the 6th month following bariatric surgery (SG = 17 and BPD-DS = 17). Fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were performed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months after bariatric surgery. Results At 6 months and 12 months, percentage of weight loss was similar between groups (6 months: − 29.6 ± 5.5 vs. − 27.8 ± 7.7%; P = 0.371; 12 months: − 38.4 ± 10.4 vs. − 37.9 ± 9.5%; P = 0.876 exercise vs. control). Both groups had an increase in HDL values between the 3nd and the 6th month following bariatric surgery. There was a significantly greater increment in HDL values in the exercise group (0.18 ± 0.14 vs. 0.07 ± 0.12 mmol/L, P = 0.014; exercise vs. control). Conclusion Our results showed a beneficial effect of a 12-week supervised exercise-training program in bariatric surgery patients showing similar weight loss on HDL-cholesterol levels without additional effect on LDL-cholesterol levels.