Table 2.

Meta-analyses investigating the effects of different types of exercise on polycystic ovary syndrome outcomes

Physical activity intervention	N reviews; N studies; N participants	Main findingsa	References
Aerobic exercise	4; 48; 1518	↓ WC [119, 121, 124], BMI [119, 122, 124], BF% [119], HOMA-IR [119, 121, 122, 124], TC [119, 124], FINS [119, 124], TAG [119], LDL-C [119], RHR [119] ↑ VO2peak/max [119, 121, 124] ↔ BMI [121], BW [119, 124], HDL-C [124], LDL-C [124], TAG [124], FGL [119, 124], BP [119], HOMA-IR [122], FAI [119, 121, 122], T [119, 122], SHBG [119], E2 [119], LH [119, 122], FSH [119, 122]	Patten et al. 2020 [121] dos Santos et al. 2020 [122] Richards et al. 2021 [124] Kite et al. 2019 [119]
Resistance training	2; 14; 505	↓ WC [119], HOMA-IR [121], FINS [119], HDL-C [119], FAI [121] ↑ BMI [119] ↔ BW [119], BF% [119], FGL [119], HOMA-IR [119], TAG [119], TC [119], LDL-C [119], VO2max/peak [119], RHR [119], FAI [119], T [119], SHBG [119], E2 [119], LH [119], FSH [119]	Patten et al. 2020 [121] Kite et al. 2019 [119]
Combined aerobic and resistance trainingb	2; 3; 59	↔ BMI [119, 122], WC [119], HOMA-IR [119, 122], FINS [119], FGL [119], BP [119], TAG [119], TC [119], LDL-C [119], HDL-C [119], RHR [119], T [119, 122], E2 [119], LH [119], FSH [119]	Kite et al. 2019 [119] dos Santos et al. 2020 [122]
High intensity interval training	2; 11; 373	↓ BMI [123], WHR [123], HOMA-IR [123, 124] ↔ BF% [123], BMI [124], BW [124], WC [124], TC [123, 124], LDL-C [123, 124], TAG [124], FINS [123, 124], FGL [124], HDL-C [124], VO2max [124]	Richards et al. 2021 [124] dos Santos et al. 2021 [123]

Abbreviations: ↑ significant increase (P ≤ 0.05), ↓ significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05), ↔ no significant change, BF% Percent body fat, BMI Body mass index, BW Body weight, BP Blood pressure, E2 Estradiol, FGL Fasting glucose level, FAI Free androgen index, FINS Fasting insulin, FSH Follicle stimulating hormone, HOMA-IR Homeostatic assessment of insulin resistance, LDL-C Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, LH Luteinizing hormone, PCOS Polycystic ovary syndrome, RHR Resting heart rate, SHBG Sex hormone-binding globulin, T Testosterone, TAG Triglycerides, TC Total cholesterol, VO2max Maximal oxygen uptake, VO2peak Peak oxygen uptake, WC Waist circumference, WHR Waist hip ratio

^aSignificant findings from meta-analyses when comparing exercise groups to control

^bSubgroup analyses compared different types of exercise; only 1 study included for combined exercise