1. Effectiveness of a lifestyle weight-loss intervention targeting inactive former elite athletes: the Champ4Life randomised controlled trial.
- Author
-
Silva AM, Nunes CL, Jesus F, Francisco R, Matias CN, Cardoso M, Santos I, Carraça EV, Finlayson G, Silva MN, Dickinson S, Allison D, Minderico CS, Martins P, and Sardinha LB
- Subjects
- Athletes, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Weight Loss, Quality of Life, Sedentary Behavior
- Abstract
Objectives: Many athletes struggle in managing the end of their career, often gaining weight and adopting unhealthy lifestyles. Lifestyle programmes targeting former athletes who have gained substantial fat mass (FM) postsports career are lacking. We studied the effects of the Champ4Life programme on body composition and other health-related outcomes in former elite athletes with overweight or obesity., Methods: Ninety-four former athletes(42.4±7.3 y, 34.0% female) were recruited and randomly assigned to either an intervention group (IG; n=49) or a control group (CG; n=45). The IG attended 12 educational sessions addressing physical activity, weight management and nutrition. They also had a nutrition appointment aimed to prescribe a moderate caloric deficit(~300-500 kcal/day). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. The Short-Form Health Survey-36 questionnaire was used to measure general health-related quality of life. Blood samples were collected to assess cardiometabolic health parameters., Results: At 12 months, the IG lost more weight (estimated difference (ED)=-5.3 kg; -6.9 to -3.8), total FM (ED=-4.1 kg; -5.4 to -2.8) and abdominal FM (ED=-0.49 kg; -0.64 to -0.33) than did the CG (p's<0.001). Cardiometabolic health markers also improved significantly (p<0.05) more in the IG at 12 months (insulin (ED=-4.9 μU/mL;-8.0 to -1.8); homoeostatic model assessment (ED=-1.2; -2.1 to -0.4); total cholesterol (ED=-21.8 mg/dL; -35.4 to -8.2); low-density lipoprotein (ED=18.2 mg/dL;-29.2 to -7.1)), as did quality-of-life dimensions (physical functioning (ED=11.7; 6.5 to 16.9); physical role (ED=17.6; 2.1 to 33.0); general health (ED=19.4; 11.4 to 27.4); vitality (ED=13.3; 5.3 to 21.3) and mental health (ED=12.3; 4.1 to 20.6))., Conclusions: The Champ4Life programme was effective in substantially reducing total and abdominal FM while preserving fat-free mass and improving health-related markers. These findings will enable evidence-based decisions when implementing lifestyle interventions targeting retired elite athletes., Trial Registeration Number: NCT03031951., Competing Interests: Competing interests: In the last 36 months, DA has received personal payments or promises for same from: American Society for Nutrition; Alkermes; American Statistical Association; Big Sky Health; Biofortis; California Walnut Commission; Clark Hill PLC; Columbia University; Dynamic AQS; Fish & Richardson, P.C.; Frontiers Publishing; Gelesis; Henry Stewart Talks; IKEA; Indiana University; Arnold Ventures (formerly the Laura and John Arnold Foundation); Johns Hopkins University; Kaleido Biosciences; Law Offices of Ronald Marron; MD Anderson Cancer Center; Medical College of Wisconsin; National Institutes of Health (NIH); Medpace; National Academies of Science; Sage Publishing; The Obesity Society; Sports Research; The Elements Agency; Tomasik, Kotin & Kasserman; University of Alabama at Birmingham; University of Miami; Nestle; WW (formerly Weight Watchers International); Whistle Labs. Donations to a foundation have been made on his behalf by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association. DA was previously an unpaid member of the International Life Sciences Institute North America Board of Trustees. DA’s institution, Indiana University, and the Indiana University Foundation have received funds or donations to support his research or educational activities from: NIH; USDA; Soleno Therapeutics; American Egg Board; California Walnut Commission, Almond Board; Peanut Institute; Mondelez; National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Eli Lilly and Co.; Reckitt Benckiser Group; Alliance for Potato Research and Education; American Federation for Aging Research; Dairy Management; Arnold Ventures; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and numerous other for-profit and non-profit organisations to support the work of the School of Public Health and the university more broadly.The remaining authors reported no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF