Effects of short-term (ST), medium-term (MT) and long-term (LT) RET on blood biomarkers
| Blood marker | Number of studies | Number of participants | Mean difference (95% CI) | P values | Heterogeneity | ||
| RET | CON | ||||||
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | ST | 3 | 80 | 66 | −5.55 (–16.58 to 5.48) † | 0.32 | χ²=2.39, I²=16%, p=0.30 |
| MT | 32 | 442 | 440 | 0.57 (–5.63 to 6.77) | 0.86 | χ²=190.82, I²=84%, p<0.00001 | |
| LT | 8 | 115 | 97 | −8.71 (–30.83 to 13.40)† | 0.44 | χ²=71.91, I²=90%, p<0.00001 | |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL) | ST | 3 | 80 | 66 | 0.82 (–5.40 to 7.03) | 0.56 | χ²=5.99, I²=50%, p=0.11 |
| MT | 39 | 601 | 590 | 2.23 (–0.06 to 4.51)† | 0.06 | χ²=734.44, I²=95%, p<0.00001 | |
| LT | 9 | 179 | 160 | 2.79 (–0.69 to 6.28)† | 0.12 | χ²=12.33, I²=35%, p=0.14 | |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL) | ST | 3 | 80 | 66 | −5.10 (–11.09 to 0.90)† | 0.10 | χ²=0.32, I²=0%, p=0.85 |
| MT | 31 | 503 | 497 | −2.86 (–8.77 to 3.05)† | 0.34 | χ²=292.46, I²=90%, p<0.00001 | |
| LT | 6 | 135 | 130 | −3.69 (– 10.99 to 3.60)† | 0.32 | χ²=2.39, I²=0%, p=0.79 | |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | ST | 3 | 80 | 66 | −3.63 (−17.45 to 10.2)† | 0.61 | χ²=0.14, I²=0%, p=0.93 |
| MT | 37 | 590 | 575 | −3.99 (–8.78 to 0.8)† | 0.29 | χ²=250.54, I²=86%, p<0.00001 | |
| LT | 6 | 135 | 130 | −2.82 (–14.98 to 9.33)† | 0.65 | χ²=7.99, I²=37%, p=0.16 | |
| Fasted insulin (µU/mL) | MT | 20 | 304 | 286 | −0.59 (–0.97 to –0.21)† | 0.002* | χ²=84.86, I²=78%, p<0.00001 |
| LT | 4 | 89 | 90 | −0.60 (–1.93 to 0.72)† | 0.37 | χ²=45.43, I²=93%, p<0.00001 | |
| HOMA-IR | MT | 9 | 96 | 88 | −1.22 (–2.29 to –0.15)† | 0.02* | χ²=94.62, I²=92%, p<0.00001 |
| LT | 3 | 38 | 33 | −0.18 (–0.64 to 0.27)† | 0.60 | χ²=1.45, I²=0%, p=0.48 | |
| Fasted glucose (mg/dL) | ST | 2 | 64 | 58 | −3.39 (– 6.90 to 0.11)† | 0.06 | χ²=1.66, I²=40%, p=0.20 |
| MT | 33 | 499 | 485 | −2.39 (–4.47 to –0.31)† | 0.02* | χ²=318.33, I²=90%, p<0.00001 | |
| LT | 7 | 135 | 136 | −0.07 (–2.80 to 2.67)† | 0.96 | χ²=46.09, I²=87%, p<0.00001 | |
| C reactive protein (mg/L) | ST | 2 | 41 | 41 | −0.43 (–1.05 to 0.19)† | 0.07 | χ²=1.58, I²=37%, p=0.21 |
| MT | 12 | 199 | 195 | −0.28 (–0.72 to 0.15)† | 0.20 | χ²=44.57, I²=75%, p<0.00001 | |
*Indicates statistical significance.
†Indicates favouring RET.
CON, control group; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; LT, long term; MT, medium term; RET, resistance exercise training; ST, short term.