Effects of aerobic exercise on waist circumference, VO2 max, blood glucose, insulin, and lipid index in middle-aged women: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This study confirms the effectiveness of aerobic exercise on waist circumference, Vo2 max, blood glucose, insulin, serum lipid in middle-aged women. The Ovid-Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched. The risk of bias 2 revised in 2019 was used to assess the risk of bias in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Selected studies were meta-analyzed with Review Manager 5.3. Data were compiled from 15 RCTs comprising 1,110 participants. Overall, aerobic exercise reduced waist circumference and blood glucose, and increased VO2 max significantly. We recommend the application of aerobic exercise to prevent metabolic disease in middle-aged women.