title: Beneficial effects of training at the anaerobic threshold in addition to pharmacotherapy on weight loss, body composition, and exercise performance in women with obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effects of weight loss achieved through orlistat therapy alone or a combination of orlistat and an aerobic exercise training program on aerobic fitness and body composition in obese females.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight obese patients were randomly assigned to receive 12-week treatment with hypocaloric diet-orlistat or diet-orlistat-exercise. Each participant performed an incremental ramp exercise test every 4 weeks to measure aerobic fitness. Fourteen participants performed continuous exercise (approximately 45 minutes per session) at a work rate corresponding to the anaerobic threshold three times per week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A decrease in the fat mass to body weight ratio of 3.8% (P=0.006) was observed at the end of the 12 weeks in the orlistat group, while a decrease of 9.5% (P=0.001) was seen in the orlistat-exercise group. Maximal exercise capacity increased by 46.5% in the orlistat-exercise group and by 19.5% in the orlistat group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While orlistat therapy resulted in an improvement in body composition and aerobic fitness at the end of the 12-week period, its combination with exercise training provided improvements in the same parameters within the first 4 weeks of the study. These additional beneficial effects of combining aerobic exercise with orlistat therapy are important with regards to obesity-associated risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozcelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sermin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Algul
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey ; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colak
keywords: aerobic fitness; anaerobic threshold; body mass index; obesity; orlistat