Key result
Aerobic training reduces HOMA-IR and CRP while HIIT lowers fasting insulin in women with PCOS.
Why the study?
Although exercise training is beneficial in polycystic ovary syndrome, its impact on cardiometabolic health remains uncertain.
Does exercise training improve glucose homeostasis, lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?
Does exercise training improve glucose homeostasis, lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?
Exercise training, particularly aerobic and high-intensity interval training, effectively improves glycemic control, lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Supports aerobic/HIIT for lowering HOMA-IR, CRP, and insulin in PCOS; reinforces consensus on exercise for cardiometabolic benefits.
Introduction and aim Although exercise training is beneficial to patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), its impact on cardiometabolic health remains uncertain. Therefore, the objective of the current systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses was to investigate the efficacy of different modes of exercise in improving glucose homeostasis, lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation. Methods Three electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched in the English language for publications from inception to July 2025. Randomized control trials comparing the effects of exercise training, including aerobic (AT), resistance (RT), combined (CT), or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Yoga/Tai Chi with non-exercise controls (CON) or another exercise modality on markers of glucose homeostasis, lipid profiles, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were included in the meta-analyses. Weighted mean differences (WMD) or standardized mean differences (SMD) along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), were determined using random-effects models. Results Twenty-five studies involving 1, 107 participants with mean ages from 18 to 34 years, were included. Exercise training reduced fasting insulin [SMD: -0.28, p = 0.01], Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) [SMD: -0.50, p = 0.008], triglycerides (TG) [WMD: -2.70 mg/dl, p = 0.01], total cholesterol (TC) [WMD: -3.74 mg/dl, p = 0.04], and CRP [SMD: -0.61, p = 0.001], significantly more than CON, but no significant differences were observed for fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Based on network meta-analysis, Yoga/Tai Chi reduced fasting glucose [WMD: -5.54 mg/dL, p = 0.001], AT reduced HOMA-IR [SMD: -0.57, p = 0.03], and CRP [SMD: -0.82, p = 0.001], HIIT reduced fasting insulin [SMD: -0.38, p = 0.03], HOMA-IR [SMD: -0.56, p = 0.05] and LDL [WMD: -6.45 mg/dl, p = 0.01], and CT reduced TG [WMD: -3.61 mg/dl, p = 0.004] and LDL [WMD: -8.40 mg/dl, p = 0.01] significantly more than CON. Conclusion Exercise training may be effective for improving glycemic control, lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation among women with PCOS. Among exercise modes examined, AT and HIIT appeared to be the most effective for improving glucose homeostasis, AT for reducing systemic inflammation, and CT for improving lipid profiles (PROSPERO ID: CRD420251127315).
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Khalafi et al. (2026) studied this question. Aerobic training significantly reduced HOMA-IR by -0.57 and CRP by -0.82, while HIIT lowered fasting insulin by -0.38 in women with PCOS.
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