The effects of exercise and diet program in overweight people – Nordic walking versus walking

Valentina Muollo,1,2 Andrea P Rossi,3 Chiara Milanese,1 Elena Masciocchi,3 Miriam Taylor,3 Mauro Zamboni,3 Raffaela Rosa,1 Federico Schena,1,2 Barbara Pellegrini1,21Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine, and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; 2CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; 3Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, University of Verona Healthy Aging Center, Verona, ItalyCorrespondence: Valentina MuolloDepartment of Neurosciences, Biomedicine, and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, ItalyTel +39 045 842 5122Fax +39 045 842 5131Email valentina.muollo@univr.itPurpose: Nordic walking (NW) has been recommended as a form of exercise for clinical populations. Despite intervention programs designed to face a clinical status may last several months, no longitudinal studies have compared the effect of NW to another usual form of exercise, like walking (W). We evaluated the effects of diet combined with a long-supervised NW versus W training on body composition, aerobic capacity and strength in overweight adults.Patients and methods: Thirty-eight participants, randomized into a NW (n=19, 66±7 years, body mass index (BMI) 33±5)) and a W (n=19, 66±8 years, BMI 32±5) group, followed a diet and a supervised training routine 3 times/week for 6 months. The variables assessed at baseline, after 3 and 6 months were: anthropometric indexes (ie, BMI and waist circumference (WC)), body composition, aerobic capacity (oxygen consumption (VO2peak), peak power output (PPO), 6-min walking test (6MWT)) and strength (maximal voluntary contraction of biceps brachialis (MVCBB) and quadriceps femoris (MVCQF), chair stand and arm curl (AC)).Results: After 6 months both NW and W group decreased significantly BMI (6% and 4%, respectively) and WC (8% and 4%, respectively), but only the NW group reduced (P