Table 3 Cardiometabolic and fitness variables at baseline and post-interventions (mean ± SD)

Variable

Time

Group

Time × Group

Baseline

Post

Baseline

Post

Baseline

Post

Energy intake (Kcal/day)

2937 ± 271

3061 ± 163

3129 ± 253

3105 ± 177

2989 ± 183

3052 ± 176

0.267

0.128

0.490

BMI (kg/m²)

24.5 ± 1.1

22.7 ± 1.0 ^{#, £}

24.4 ± 0.9

23.2 ± 0.7 ^#

23.8 ± 0.8

24.8 ± 1.0 ^*

0.003

0.029

0.000

%BF (%)

38.4 ± 4.0

36.2 ± 3.9 ^£

37.5 ± 2.0

34.4 ± 1.5 ^{#, £}

38.3 ± 1.6

39.5 ± 2.1

0.033

0.119

0.022

FM (kg)

21.7 ± 2.2

19.3 ± 1.7 ^{*, £}

22.0 ± 4.6

18.3 ± 3.4 ^{#, £}

20.5 ± 2.0

23.3 ± 2.6 ^*

0.107

0.085

0.001

FFM (kg)

30.2 ± 3.6

32.1 ± 4.5

30.2 ± 5.4

29.4 ± 4.3

28.7 ± 2.5

30.5 ± 3.0

0.327

0.335

0.450

WC (cm)

83.8 ± 7.4

78.8 ± 6.1

79.2 ± 5.6

78.5 ± 7.5

82.5 ± 7.1

84.9 ± 7.2

0.496

0.061

0.164

VAT (g)

348 ± 55

295 ± 52 ^{*, £}

313 ± 86

296 ± 81 ^£

355 ± 68

394 ± 71

0.425

0.003

0.063

\(\dot{\mathrm{V}}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{peak}}\)(mL/kg/min)

41.8 ± 1.7

47.9 ± 2.6 ^{#, £}

42.6 ± 1.6

45.6 ± 2.1 ^{#, £}

42.8 ± 1.3

42.6 ± 2.9

0.000

0.014

0.000

SBP (mmHg)

115 ± 7

110 ± 5 ^{*, £}

119 ± 6

114 ± 7 ^*

115 ± 5

116 ± 4

0.029

0.058

0.090

DBP (mmHg)

69 ± 5

67 ± 3 ^£

71 ± 4

68 ± 4 ^£

71 ± 4

71 ± 3.7

0.087

0.022

0.342

Glucose (mmol/L)

4.9 ± 0.3

4.7 ± 0.3 ^£

5.0 ± 0.3

4.9 ± 0.4 ^£

5.2 ± 0.4

5.4 ± 0.4

0.709

0.000

0.146

Insulin (μIU/mL)

10.2 ± 4.9

7.5 ± 2.8 ^£

9.6 ± 4.3

6.8 ± 3.0 ^£

10.6 ± 3.3

12.3 ± 2.4

0.142

0.007

0.049

HOMA-IR

2.2 ± 1.1

1.6 ± 0.6 ^{*, £}

2.1 ± 1.0

1.5 ± 0.6 ^{*, £}

2.4 ± 0.7

2.9 ± 0.6

0.164

0.001

0.012

TC (mmol/L)

4.0 ± 0.6

4.0 ± 0.5

4.2 ± 0.8

3.9 ± 0.5

4.0 ± 0.5

4.2 ± 0.6

0.943

0.825

0.378

TG (mmol/L)

1.6 ± 0.4

1.4 ± 0.3

1.4 ± 0.7

1.3 ± 0.5

1.3 ± 0.5

1.5 ± 0.6

0.974

0.520

0.347

HDL (mmol/L)

1.3 ± 0.3

1.5 ± 0.2 ^£

1.4 ± 0.3

1.4 ± 0.2

1.2 ± 0.2

1.3 ± 0.2

0.112

0.034

0.606

LDL (mmol/L)

2.3 ± 0.2

1.9 ± 0.3 ^*

2.3 ± 0.4

2.0 ± 0.2

2.1 ± 0.5

2.2 ± 0.5

0.034

0.954

0.107