The efficacy of exercise training for improving body composition in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of exercise in improving body composition in patients with breast cancer; the effects of exercise on weight and BMI were evaluated as secondary outcomes.

Data sources

Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials published in English from database inception to 29 November 2023.

Methods

The effects of exercise on body composition in patients with breast cancer were explored. After separately extracting the data, two reviewers assessed the overall quality of the evidence as well as the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

Fourteen studies with 1241 participants were included, of which 12 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. Exercise significantly reduced body fat (mean difference [MD], −0.33; 95% CI, −0.37 to −0.29; P < 0.00001) and increased lean mass (MD, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.49; P < 0.00001) in patients with breast cancer. Further, exercise intervention was associated with increased BMI of patients with breast cancer (MD, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.06; P = 0.01), while no significant difference in weight was detected between the exercise and the non-exercise groups. Subgroup analysis results showed that only resistance exercise reduced fat mass (MD, −0.22; 95% CI, −0.27 to −0.16; P < 0.00001).

Conclusions

Exercise effectively improves body composition in patients with breast cancer. Clinicians should encourage patients to engage in exercise and develop optimized exercise prescriptions.