Table 2.
The included studies.
| Author | Design | Participants’ Characteristics | Mean Age | Sample Size (% Female) | Frequency | Period | Type of Pilates | Certified Instructor | Detailed Protocol | Outcome Measure | Outcome Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolkodoff 2008 [44] | CT | Sedentary (healthy) | PG = 23–64 |
n = 20 PG = 14 (85.7%) CG = 6 (83.3%) |
40′/3.2xwk | 8wks | Both | NA | Yes | -Peak VO2 mL/kg/min (Oxycon Mobile) |
CG change = 0.38 PG change = 6.06 17% of change in PG |
| Guimarães et al., 2012 [35] | RCPT | Heart failure | PG = 46 ± 12 CRG = 44 ± 11 |
n = 16 PG = 8 (38%) CRG = 8 (19%) |
60′/2xwk | 16wks | Mat | Yes | Yes | -Peak VO2 mLO2/kg/min (Vmax 229 model, SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA, USA) |
PG: improvements in peak VO2 (p = 0.01) Comparing both groups, PG showed greater improvement on peak VO2 (p = 0.02) |
| Gildenhuys et al., 2013 [22] | RCT | Elderly women (healthy) | PG = 66 ± 5 CG = 65 ± 5 |
n = 50 PG = 25 (100%) CG = 25 (100%) |
60′/3xwk | 8wks | Mat | Yes | NA | -VO2 max mL.kg−1 min−1 (6minWalk; indirect equation) | PG did not significantly improve VO2 max (p = 0.247) |
| Lim HS et al., 2016 [29] | RCT | Chronic stroke | PG = 63 ± 8 CG = 62 ± 7 |
n = 20 PG = 10 (40%) CG = 10 (50%) |
3xwk | 8wks | Mat | Yes | Yes | -VO2 max mL/min -VO2 max per kg (metabolic analyzer: Quark b2, COSMED, Italy 2011) |
PG: VO2 max and VO2 max per kg increased significantly CG: VO2 max per kg diminished significantly |
| Diamantoula et al., 2016 [46] | Q-E | Sedentary women (healthy) | PG = 26 ± 5 AP = 21.3 ± 2 |
PG land = 20 (100%) AP = 20 (100%) |
2xwk | 2years | Mat/aqua | NA | NA | -VO2 max mL/min (Ergometer cycle (Amila kh803), following the Astrand-Ryhming test, based on heart rate in submaximal effort) | No differences between groups, better VO2 max in total for both groups |
| Tinoco- Fernández et al., 2016 [30] | Q-E | Sedentary students (healthy) | PG = 18–35 |
n = 45 PG = 45 (78%) |
60′/3xwk | 10wks | Mat | Yes | Yes | -VO2 max L/kg/min -VO2 max L/min (MasterScreen CPX apparatus) |
Increment in peak VO2 and VO2 max |
| Rodrigues et al., 2016 [32] | Q-E | Sedentary women (healthy) | PG = 23 ± 2 | PG = 10 (100%) | 45′/2xwk | 11wks | Both | NA | Yes | -VO2 max mL.kg−1 min−1 portable metabolic system (VO2000®, MedGraphics®, St. Paul, MN, USA) |
Peak VO2 tended to increase, but the differences were not statistically significant |
| Mikalacki et al., 2017 [31] | CT | Adult women (healthy) | PG = 48 ± 7 CG = 47 ± 7 |
n = 64 PG = 36 (100%) CG = 28 (100%) |
55–60′/2xwk | NA | NA | NA | NA | -Relative VO2 max -Absolute VO2 max (Medisoft, model 870c) |
PG: significant increase on relative VO2max, absolute VO2 max -CG: not significant changes |
| Finatto et al., 2018 [33] | RCT | Trained runners (healthy) | PG = 18 ± 1 CG = 18 ± 1 |
n = 32 PG = 15–13 NA % CG = 16–15 |
60′/1xwk | 12wks | Mat | Yes | NA | -VO2 max mL.kg−1.min−1 (VO2000 (Medgraphics, Ann Arbor, USA) |
PG: significantly higher values on VO2 max (p < 0.001) |
| Rayes et al., 2019 [45] | RCT | Overweight/obese | PG = 55.9 ± 6.6 CG = 45.5 ± 9.3 |
n = 60 NA% PG = 22 CG = 25/17 |
60′/3xwk | 8wks | Both | Yes | Yes | -VO2 max (mL/kg/min) (motorized treadmill; Inbrasport, ATL, Porto Alegre, Brazil) |
PG: Significant improvement on VO2 max CG: not significant changes |
CT: controlled trial; RCT: randomised controlled trial; RCPT: randomised controlled pilot trial; Q-E: quasi-experimental; PG: Pilates group; CG: control group; AP: Aqua-Pilates group; NA: not available; wk: week; VO2 max: maximal oxygen uptake.