Table 2.
Summary of studies identified for systematic review detailing participants, intervention characteristics and main outcomes measures.
| Study | Study design | QA score | Exercise N (total N) | Participant characteristics | PCOS diagnostic criteria | Exercise intervention characteristics | CRF outcomes | Cardiometabolic outcomes | Hormonal and reproductive outcomes | Body composition outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Included in meta-analysis | ||||||||||
| Almenning et al. (2015) | RCT | 17 | HIIT = 8 RT = 8 (25) |
Age = 27.2 ± 5.5 RT: BMI = 27.4 ± 6.9 HIIT: BMI = 26.1 ± 6.5 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Intervals or RT Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous-High (70–95% HRmax) Duration: 10 weeks Supervision: Partial |
HIIT: ↑ VO2peak RT: No change |
HIIT: ↓ HOMA-IR, ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↑ HDL RT: No change |
HIIT: No change RT: ↓ AMH ↑ SHBG, ↓ FAI |
HIIT: ↓ Fat mass, ↓ BF% RT: ↓ BF%, ↑ Fat free mass |
| Bruner et al. (2006) | RCT | 10 | 7 (12) | Age = 32.3 ± 1 BMI = 36.2 ± 2 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic and RT Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (70–85% HRmax) Duration: 12 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ Fasting Insulin | No change | ↓ WC |
| Costa et al. (2018) | RCT | 17 | 14 (27) | Age = 27.6 ± 4.5 BMI = 25-39.9 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Moderate-Vigorous (60–85% HRmax) Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | No change | Not measured | ↓ BMI, ↓ WC |
| Curi et al. (2012) | Randomised parallel trial | 11 | 12 (27) | Age = 26.3 ± 1.4 BMI = 31.8 ± 1.6 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: N/R Intensity: Moderate Duration: 26 weeks Supervision: None |
Not measured | No change | No change | ↓ BMI, ↓ WC |
| Giallauria et al. (2008) | Uncontrolled trial | 17 | 62 (124) | Age = 22.8 ± 3.7 BMI = 29.2 ± 2.9 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (60–70% VO2peak) Duration: 12 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ AUCins, ↑ AUCglu/AUCins | ↑ SHBG | ↓ BMI, ↓ W/H |
| Hutchison et al. (2011) Moran et al. (2011) Hutchison et al. (2012) Harrison et al. (2012) |
Uncontrolled trial | 15 13 13 14 |
13 (21) | Age = 29.75 ± 1.4 BMI = 35.6 ± 5.8 |
NIH | Type: Aerobic Intervals Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (75–100% HRmax) Duration: 12 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↑ GIR, ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ HOMA-IR. | ↓ AMH No other changes |
↓ BMI |
| Ladson et al. (2011) | RCT | 17 | 59 (114) | Age = 28.8 ± 4.6 BMI = 38.3 ± 8 |
NIH | Type: Aerobic Frequency: ≥2/weeks Intensity: Moderate Duration: 26 weeks Supervision: Partial |
No change | ↑ AUCglu, ↑ HDL | No change | ↓ WC |
| Miranda-Furtado et al. (2016) Kogure et al. (2016) Kogure et al. (2018) |
Uncontrolled trial | 13 15 14 |
45 (97) | Age = 28.1 ± 5.4 BMI = 28.4 ± 6 |
Rotterdam | Type: RT Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: % of 1RM Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
Not measured | No change | ↓ T, ↓ FAI, ↑ SHBG | ↓ WC |
| Moro et al. (2009) Redman et al. (2011) Covington et al. (2015) Covington et al. (2016) |
Uncontrolled trial | 10 10 9 9 |
8 (16) | Age = 25.6 ± 3.1 BMI = 32.1 ± 5.2 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 5/weeks Intensity: Moderate (55% VO2peak) Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↑ GDR, ↑ HDL | No change | No change |
| Nybacka et al. (2011) Nybacka et al. (2013) |
RCT | 10 12 |
Exercise = 17, Diet and exercise = 12 (43) |
Age = 31.8 ± 4.9 BMI = 34.9 ± 5.3 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 2–3/weeks Intensity: Moderate Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
Not measured | No change | ↑ Menstrual Cyclicity. No change in hormonal markers. |
↓ BMI |
| Orio et al. (2016) | RCT | 18 | 39 (136) | Age = 25.9 ± 2.7 BMI = 26.7 ± 2.8 |
NIH | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (60–70% VO2peak) Duration: 24 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO22peak | ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ HOMA-IR, ↑ GIR, ↓ AUCins, ↓ Total Cholesterol, ↑ HDL, ↓ LDL | No change | ↓ BMI, ↓ W/H |
| Orio et al. (2008) | Non-randomised parallel study | 14 | 32 (64) | Age = 18-40 BMI = 28.9 ± 3 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (60–70% VO2peak) Duration: 24 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ AUCins, ↑ AUCglu/ins, ↑ HDL, ↓ LDL | No change | ↓ BMI ↓ WC, ↓ W/H |
| Randeva et al. (2002) | Uncontrolled trail | 12 | 12 (21) | Age = 29.7 ± 6.8 BMI = 33.9 ± 4.5 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Moderate Duration: 26 weeks Supervision: None |
↑ VO2peak | No Change | Not measured | ↓ W/H |
| Roessler et al. (2013) | Randomised crossover trial | 15 | 8 (17) | Age = 31 (SEM−3) BMI = 34.8 (SEM-2.5) |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic and aerobic intervals Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous-High (70–75 and 80–100% HRmax) Duration: 8 weeks Supervision: N/R |
↑ VO2peak | Not measured | Not measured | ↓ Weight, ↓ BMI, ↓ WC |
| Sprung et al. (2013a) | Single-arm trial | 15 | 6 (12) | Age = 28 (25 – 31) BMI = 31 (28 – 34) |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3–5/weeks Intensity: Moderate (30–60% HRR) Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | No change | No change | No change |
| Sprung et al. (2013b) | Non-RCT | 14 | 10 (17) | Age = 29 ± 7 BMI = 34 ± 6 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3–5/weeks Intensity: Moderate (30–60% HRR) Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ Total Cholesterol, ↓ LDL No change in insulin sensitivity |
No change | No change |
| Jedel et al. (2011) Stener-Victorin et al. (2009) Stener-Victorin et al. (2012) |
RCT | 16 13 16 |
30 (74) | Age = 30.2 ± 4.7 BMI = 27.7 ± 6.4 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Moderate Duration: 16 weeks Supervision: None |
↑ VO2peak | No change | ↑ SHBG, ↓ Free T, ↓ Estradiol | ↓ Weight, ↓ BMI |
| Thomson et al. (2008) Thomson et al. (2012) Thomson et al. (2016) |
RCT | 11 13 10 |
Diet and aerobic exercise = 18, Diet and combined exercise = 20 (52) |
Age = 29.3 ± 6.8 BMI = 36.1 ± 4.8 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic, RT or combined aerobic and RT Frequency: 5/weeks Intensity: Moderate-Vigorous (60–80% HRmax and 50–75% of 1RM) Duration: 20 weeks Supervision: N/R |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ HOMA-IR, ↓ Fasting Glucose, ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ Lipids | ↓ T, ↓ FAI, ↑ SHBG, ↑ Menstrual Cyclicity | ↓ Weight, ↓ WC, ↓ Fat mass, ↓ BF% |
| Vigorito et al. (2007) | RCT | 15 | 45 (90) | Age = 21.7 ± 2.3 BMI = 29.3 ± 2.9 |
Rotterdam | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3/weeks Intensity: Vigorous (60-70% VO2peak) Duration: 12 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | ↓ Fasting Insulin, ↓ AUCins, ↑ AUCglu/AUCins | ↑ Menstrual Cyclicity. No change in hormonal markers. |
↓ WC, ↓ BMI, ↓ W/H |
| Included for systematic review only | ||||||||||
| Brown et al. (2009) | RCT | 17 | 8 (20) | Age = 36.5 (5) BMI = 37.9 (9.4) |
NIH | Type: Aerobic Frequency: 3–5/weeks Intensity: Moderate (40–60% VO2peak) Duration: 20–24 weeks Supervision: Full |
↑ VO2peak | No change | Not measured | No change |
QA, Quality Assessment; CRF- Cardiorespiratory Fitness; RCT, Randomised Controlled Trial; NIH, National Institute of Health; HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training; RT, Resistance Training; BMI, Body Mass Index; HRmax, Maximal Heart Rate; VO2peak, Peak Oxygen Uptake; HRR, Heart Rate Reserve; N/R, Not Reported; ↑ Increase, ↓ Decrease, HOMA-IR, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance; AUC, Area Under the Curve; GDR, Glucose Disposal Rate; GIR, Glucose Infusion Rate; HDL, High Density Lipoproteins; LDL, Low Density Lipoproteins; AMH, Anti-Mullerian Hormone; SHBG, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin; FAI, Free Androgen Index; T, Testosterone; Free T, Free Testosterone; BF%, Body Fat Percentage; WC, Waist Circumference; W/H, Waist to Hip Ratio.