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Differential Changes in Exercise Performance After Massive Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery

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An Erratum to this article was published on 11 December 2012

Abstract

Background

Exercise performance and pulmonary function are often impaired in severely obese subjects. Bariatric surgery represents the most effective therapy for severe obesity, but data on changes in exercise performance after massive weight loss induced by bariatric surgery have rarely been assessed so far.

Methods

Exercise performance was obtained by bicycle spiroergometry in 18 severely obese patients before and at least 1 year after bariatric surgery. Additionally, pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry.

Results

BMI was reduced from 46.3 ± 1.6 to 33.5 ± 1.4 kg/m2 after surgery. Pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume within 1 s; inspiratory vital capacity) improved after weight loss (both p ≤ 0.01). At peak exercise, heart rate (HR) peak, absolute oxygen uptake (VO2) peak, and load peak did not differ between both assessments (all p > 0.25). However, relative (related to actual body weight) VO2 peak and workload peak were higher after than before surgery (both p ≤ 0.005), while gross efficiency peak and ventilatory equivalent peak remained unchanged (both p > 0.30). At anaerobic threshold (AT), patients showed lower HR AT and absolute VO2 AT after than before surgery (both p < 0.05), while absolute workload AT did not differ (p = 0.58). In turn, relative VO2 AT did not change (p = 0.30), whereas relative workload AT was higher after surgery (p = 0.04). Also, ventilatory efficiency AT and gross efficiency AT tended to be improved (both p = 0.08). Before surgery, the patients performed 27.0 % of VO2 peak above their AT, while this fraction increased to 35.3 % (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Results indicated differential changes in exercise performance, with the relative but not the absolute peak performance being improved after massive weight loss. Interestingly, anaerobic exercise tolerance was markedly improved after surgery.

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Conflict of Interest

No conflicts of interest were declared by any of the authors (BWI, BE, MT, BWE, and BS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Obesity Center, Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Heidener Str. 11, 9400, Rorschach, Switzerland

    Britta Wilms, Barbara Ernst, Martin Thurnheer & Bernd Schultes

  2. Institute of Sport Science, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Burkhard Weisser

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  1. Britta Wilms
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  2. Barbara Ernst
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  3. Martin Thurnheer
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  4. Burkhard Weisser
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  5. Bernd Schultes
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Correspondence to Bernd Schultes.

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Wilms, B., Ernst, B., Thurnheer, M. et al. Differential Changes in Exercise Performance After Massive Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery. OBES SURG 23, 365–371 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-012-0795-9

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