The Effect of Aerobic Combined With Resistance Exercise Intervention on Patients With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Objective To evaluate the intervention effects of aerobic combined with resistance exercise in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods RCTs on aerobic combined with resistance exercise in GDM patients were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases from inception to March 2025. Eligible studies enrolled GDM patients, with interventions combining aerobic and resistance exercise versus routine care or routine care plus aerobic exercise. Two reviewers independently screened studies, assessed bias risk using the Cochrane tool, and extracted data. Effect sizes were calculated as SMD (continuous outcomes) or RR (dichotomous outcomes) with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I 2 and Cochran's Q, with random‐effects models applied when I 2 > 50%. Analyses were performed in Stata 18.0. Results A total of 24 studies involving 3416 GDM patients were included. Meta‐analysis revealed that compared to the control group (receiving routine GDM management or aerobic exercise alone), the intervention group (aerobic combined with resistance exercise) demonstrated significant improvements in blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes ( p < 0.05), with statistically significant differences. Conclusion The available evidence suggests that combined aerobic and resistance exercise is associated with enhanced glycemic control and improved lipid metabolism in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus, and the incidence of certain adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes may be reduced. However, given the substantial heterogeneity observed among the included studies, the interpretation of pooled estimates warrants caution. Further validation through additional high‐quality randomized controlled trials is required to confirm these findings.