The aim of this study was to verify the influences of anaerobic and aerobic exercise in the body composition of obese male adolescents. The sample was constituted of 28 adolescents with ages ranging from 15 and 19 years, and severe obesity. The volunteers were divided into three groups and for all groups was provided nutritional orientation. The intervention period was 12 weeks. Group I accomplished interval training in a cycle ergometer that consisted of 12 shots of 30 sec. with maximum power and speed, pedaling with high load (0.8% of the body weight x 25 watts) and 3 min recover. Group II accomplished aerobic training in a cycle ergometer pedaling with relative load to the ventilatory threshold for 50 min. Group III served as control, and was not submitted to physical activity. All volunteers underwent bone densitometry with analysis of the body composition (DEXA) and medical and fitness evaluations. For the variables weight and BMI exercise groups presented reductions when initial and final interventions periods were compared. Regarding to the body composition, there was a decrease in total body and lower limbs fat mass (in grams) and in the fat percentage of the lower limbs in the exercise groups when initial and final periods were compared. There was a significant difference between groups I and II for the percentile deltas of total body fat mass and of lower limbs and in the percentage of fat of lower limbs. The data suggest that anaerobic and aerobic exercise with nutritional orientation promoted a larger weight reduction, when compared with nutritional orientation only. The anaerobic exercise proposed in this study was more efficient to produce reduction of body fat and fat percentage. The aerobic exercise seemed to have been more effective preserving and/or increasing free fat mass.
Obesity; Adolescents; Body composition; Body fat mass
