title: The feasibility of progressive resistance training in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the feasibility of executing a randomized controlled trial of progressive resistance training (PRT) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with PCOS were randomized to an experimental (PRT) group or a no-exercise (usual care) control group. The PRT group was prescribed two supervised and two unsupervised (home-based) training sessions per week for 12 weeks. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment and attrition, adherence, adverse events, and completion of assessments. Secondary outcomes, collected pre and post intervention, included a range of pertinent physiological, functional and psychological measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen participants were randomised into the PRT group (n = 8) or control group (n = 7); five women (n = 2 in PRT group and n = 3 in control group) withdrew from the study. The most successful recruitment sources were Facebook (40 %) and online advertisement (27 %), while least successful methods were referrals by clinicians, colleagues and flyers. In the PRT group, attendance to supervised sessions was higher (95 %; standard deviation ±6 %) compared to unsupervised sessions (51 %; standard deviation ±28 %). No adverse events were attributed to PRT. Change in menstrual cycle status was not significantly different between groups over time (p = 0.503). However, the PRT group significantly increased body weight (p = 0.01), BMI (p = 0.04), lean mass (p = 0.01), fat-free mass (p = 0.005) and lower body strength (p = 0.03), while reducing waist circumference (p = 0.03) and HbA1c (p = 0.033) versus the control group. The PRT group also significantly improved across several domains of disease-specific and general health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety and exercise self-efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A randomized controlled trial of PRT in PCOS would be feasible, and this mode of exercise may elicit a therapeutic effect on clinically important outcomes in this cohort. The success of a large-scale trial required to confirm these findings would be contingent on addressing the feasibility hurdles identified in this study with respect to recruitment, attrition, compliance, and collection of standardized clinical data.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12614000517673 Registered 15 May 2014.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vizza
authors.affiliation: The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia.
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord West, NSW 2138 Australia.
authors.forename: Soji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swaraj
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia.
authors.forename: Kingsley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agho
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia ; The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia.
authors.forename: Birinder S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cheema
keywords: Exercise; Menstrual cyclicity; Psychological health; Quality of life; Weight training