Eight weeks of Pilates exercise improved physical performance of overweight and obese women without significant changes in body composition and serum myokines

Effects of protein supplementation during pilates training on body composition, core muscle endurance, and joint flexibility in trained women: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Pilates is a popular type of exercise, aimed at improving core muscle strength and endurance, core stability, and joint flexibility through a variety of whole-body exercises. Research has shown that Pilates improves body composition, muscle endurance, and joint flexibility. Adequate protein intake is a key factor in supporting the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to exercise training. However, whether protein supplementation augments the adaptations to Pilates training remains unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of protein supplementation during Pilates training on body composition, core muscle endurance, and joint flexibility in trained women.

METHODS

Nineteen Pilates-trained women (31 ± 9 y) performed 10 weeks of Pilates training using the Reformer and Cadillac apparatuses, at least 2 times per week. Participants were randomly allocated to either a placebo (n = 10) or protein supplementation group (n = 9) in a quadruple-blind (participants, intervention providers, investigators, and outcome assessors) design. Participants received 0.6 g of maltodextrin or whey protein per kg body weight daily, respectively. Habitual dietary intake was monitored throughout the study. Before and after the intervention, anthropometric measures (body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences), body composition [through full-scan dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)], core muscle endurance (through the McGill's torso muscular endurance test battery), and joint flexibility (through the sit-and-reach test) were assessed. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA (supplement × time) with repeated measures on time. Common DXA and BIA variables (whole-body fat and lean mass) were compared through paired Student's t tests and subjected to Pearson's correlation analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at α = 0.05.

RESULTS

Participants received, on average, 1.3 g protein/kg body weight/day from their habitual diet. After 10 weeks of Pilates training and regardless of supplementation, body fat (assessed by BIA) and hip circumference decreased; lean mass, total water, and extracellular water (by BIA) increased; and arm lean mass, trunk bone mineral content, and trunk bone area (by DXA) increased (all p < 0.05). The common BIA and DXA variables were highly correlated (r > 0.78, p < 0.001) and did not differ pre-intervention (p > 0.1), although they differed post-intervention (p < 0.001), with BIA overestimating lean mass compared with DXA. Core muscle endurance and joint flexibility increased with training (p < 0.05), with no effect of supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Ten weeks of Pilates training improved core muscle endurance, joint flexibility, and aspects of body composition in healthy trained women, but these adaptations were not enhanced by daily supplementation with 0.6 g of protein per kilogram body weight.

Efficacy of Pilates in Functional Body Composition: A Systematic Review

The aim of this review was to collect and systematize results of studies from the last 5 years concerning the influence of the Pilates method (PM) on functional body composition (FBC). Methods: The criteria of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used in this review. We conducted research in three scientific databases: (i) Web of Science Core Collection, (ii) SCOPUS, and (iii) search directory of the library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services. We found 334 articles, covering the period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. After the selection process, we found 33 eligible articles. Results: The main results seem to point to a tendency to get a better body weight and body fat percentage (BFP), hip circumference (HC), waist, and skinfolds from the chest, abdomen, triceps, and supra-iliac in mostly female samples. Available evidence indicates that, in body composition (BC) and FBC, Pilates practice tends to be effective in reducing obesity as a multifactorial condition. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a marked trend in the benefits of Pilates in FBC, which is in line with other systematic reviews at the BC level (which includes body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI)) and in the reduction of the percentage of fat mass (FM). It is also concluded that there is a vast lack of studies on the male population, preventing further scientific development in this area. The limitations of this systematic review can be overcome with studies that bring together multidisciplinary aspects of FBC, better designed and methodologically more robust, which will allow more reliable analyses for the implementation of the Pilates method in terms of FBC. In addition, further studies with a male sample or mixed samples (men vs. women) could confirm the trend of no gender differences in the benefits of Pilates practice.