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CompletedNCT04016909Updated Dec 10, 2019

The Effect of Combined Aerobic Exercise and Calorie Restriction on Mood, Cognition, and Motor Behavior in Overweight and Obese Women

An interventional study of aerobic exercise plus calorie restriction in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, sponsored by Lithuanian Sports University. Completed at 1 site in Lithuania. Open to female participants aged 35 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-12-10.

Sponsored by Lithuanian Sports University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 9 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Oct 2018, registered Jul 2019).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
26
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
35 Years to 55 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The benefits of weight-loss programs on mood state and cognitive and motor behavior remain unclear and are largely limited to those of calorie restriction (CR) or physical exercise alone. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a combined CR and aerobic exercise program on mood state, cognition-related brain activity, and cognitive and motor behavior in overweight and obese women. Twenty-six overweight or obese women were randomized to either a control group (no intervention) or an experimental group (aerobic exercise + 12.5% energy-intake reduction). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, mood, prefrontal cortex activity, cognitive performance, and learning of a speed-accuracy task were evaluated before and 6 months after the beginning of the program. Confusion and depression increased in the control group (P \< 0.05), whereas tension decreased in the experimental group (P \< 0.05). BDNF level and learning of a speed-accuracy task remained unchanged. Although PFC activity and executive functions were not affected, the reaction time of visual scanning and associative learning were improved in the experimental group (P \< 0.05). An improvement in reaction time during the speed-accuracy task was observed (P \< 0.05). In conclusion, a 6-month combined CR and aerobic exercise intervention improved the psychosocial mental state of overweight and obese women. Although it improved motor planning during the speed-accuracy task, it had little impact on cognition and no effect on brain activity and learning of the speed-accuracy task.

02

Conditions studied

  • Obesity
  • Metabolic Syndrome

Keywords

  • brain activity
  • cognitive function
  • diet
  • exercise
  • motor behavior
  • psychosocial state
03

In context

Overweight

3,670 studies on the registry are indexed under Overweight; 849 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 26 is below the median of 73 across 3,175 interventional studies indexed under Overweight.

Browse Overweight studies →

Lead sponsor

Lithuanian Sports University is the lead sponsor of 36 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
35 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • gender: female;
  • body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2;
  • exhibiting weight stability (body weight change \<2 kg) for at least 2 months prior to enrollment;
  • sedentary lifestyle (regular exercise 1 h/week).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • undergoing lactation;
  • pregnant or postmenopausal;
  • type 2 diabetes;
  • cardiovascular disease.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
26 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    aerobic exercise plus calorie restriction

    The experimental intervention: both exercise and calorie restriction, as described below: Exercise intervention. 6 months, 72 supervised aerobic exercise training sessions on cycle ergometers, including 3 sessions of training per week. A warm-up procedure consisting of 5 min of low-intensity stretching was completed by all women before the aerobic training. Subsequently, a 50 min aerobic training at an intensity between 60% and 70% of the maximum heart rate (HR) was performed. Thereafter, a cool-down consisting of 5 min of low-intensity stretching and breathing exercises was completed. HR was recorded continuously throughout the training sessions using an HR monitor (S625X, Polar Electro, Kempele, Finland). Calorie restriction intervention. The CR intervention was designed to create a 12.5% energy deficit, with the goal of reducing body weight by 5%-10% over 6 months.

    Procedure: aerobic exercise plus calorie restriction

  • No intervention
    Control

    No intervention and participants were instructed to maintain their regular physical activity and diet regime for 6 months; they were also prohibited from participating in any weight-loss or exercise program.

Interventions

  • Procedureaerobic exercise plus calorie restriction

    both a 6-month aerobic exercise program (moderate intensity) and caloric restriction (12.5% energy deficit)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Weight

    weight (TBF-300 body composition scale; Tanita, UK Ltd., UK) was measured while the participants wore only underwear and were barefoot.

    Time frame: baseline

  2. mood state

    Mood was assessed using the 24-item Brunel Mood Scale, which estimates anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigor. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale anchored by 0 (not at all) and 4 (extremely), according to how participants feel "right now."

    Time frame: baseline

  3. Blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

    Venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected and allowed to clot at room temperature. Serum was then separated by centrifugation for 15 min at 1,200 g (room temperature) and stored at -80°C until analysis. BDNF were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay system (Gemini; Stratec Biomedical, Birkenfeld, Germany).

    Time frame: baseline

  4. Height

    Body height was measured in meters with an accuracy of 5 mm

    Time frame: baseline

  5. Cognitive functions

    Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Version 4 (ANAM-4; Vista Life, USA) was used to measure neurocognitive skills: motor reaction time, mental flexibility, mathematical processing, working memory, visual scanning and associative learning skills. Participants were familiarized with the test battery twice before the experiments.

    Time frame: baseline

  6. prefrontal cortex activity

    Assessment of brain activity was performed on a continuous wave system (fNIR Imager 1100, fNIR Devices LLC, Potomac, MA, United States) using a flexible 16 optode probe set. The sensor has a temporal resolution of 500 ms per scan with a 2.5 cm source-detector separation allowing for approximately 1.25 cm penetration depth and 16 measurement locations on a rectangular grid covering the forehead region, designed to observe dorsal and inferior frontal cortical areas.

    Time frame: baseline

  7. psychomotor function

    During the speed-accuracy task, the participant was required to position the handle symbol (0.0035 m in diameter) in the start zone on the computer screen. The participant then had to react to the target (a green circle, 0.007 m in diameter) on the computer screen as fast as possible and to push the handle of the device so that the circle of the handle symbol reached the target as quickly and accurately as possible. The distance from the start zone to the target was 0.17 m. The endpoint of the movement was reached when the center of the handle symbol stopped in the circle and stayed there for at least 0.02 s.

    Time frame: baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in body weight

    weight (TBF-300 body composition scale; Tanita, UK Ltd., UK) was measured while the participants wore only underwear and were barefoot.

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. Changes in mood state

    Mood was assessed using the 24-item Brunel Mood Scale, which estimates anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigor. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale anchored by 0 (not at all) and 4 (extremely), according to how participants feel "right now."

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. changes in blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

    Venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected and allowed to clot at room temperature. Serum was then separated by centrifugation for 15 min at 1,200 g (room temperature) and stored at -80°C until analysis. BDNF were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay system (Gemini; Stratec Biomedical, Birkenfeld, Germany).

    Time frame: 6 months

  4. Improvement of cognitive functions

    Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Version 4 (ANAM-4; Vista Life, USA) was used to measure neurocognitive skills: motor reaction time, mental flexibility, mathematical processing, working memory, visual scanning and associative learning skills. Participants were familiarized with the test battery twice before the experiments.

    Time frame: 6 months

  5. Changes in prefrontal cortex activity

    Assessment of brain activity was performed on a continuous wave system (fNIR Imager 1100, fNIR Devices LLC, Potomac, MA, United States) using a flexible 16 optode probe set. The sensor has a temporal resolution of 500 ms per scan with a 2.5 cm source-detector separation allowing for approximately 1.25 cm penetration depth and 16 measurement locations on a rectangular grid covering the forehead region, designed to observe dorsal and inferior frontal cortical areas.

    Time frame: 6 months

  6. Improvement of psychomotor function

    During the speed-accuracy task, the participant was required to position the handle symbol (0.0035 m in diameter) in the start zone on the computer screen. The participant then had to react to the target (a green circle, 0.007 m in diameter) on the computer screen as fast as possible and to push the handle of the device so that the circle of the handle symbol reached the target as quickly and accurately as possible. The distance from the start zone to the target was 0.17 m. The endpoint of the movement was reached when the center of the handle symbol stopped in the circle and stayed there for at least 0.02 s.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Laura Zlibinaite
    Kaunas, 44221, Lithuania
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 10, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04016909
Lead sponsor
Lithuanian Sports University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 12, 2019
Start date
Oct 1, 2018
Primary completion
Jun 15, 2019
Completion
Jul 31, 2019
Last update
Dec 10, 2019

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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