Low Carbohydrate and Conventional Diets Associated to Resistance Training on Muscle Fitness and Health Markers

Combined Effects of Resistance Training and Low Carbohydrate or Conventional Diets on Strength, Muscle Mass, Body Composition, Blood Lipids and Endothelium Function

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different diets (low carbohydrate - LCD and conventional - CONV) on body composition, strength performance, muscle mass and biomarkers of health in overweight adults submitted to resistance training (RT). It has been hypothesized that LCD would produce higher rates of weight loss and that both diets would be useful to maintain muscle mass and strength and biomarkers of health.

Overweight and obesity prevalence has increased worldwide. Current guidelines recommend health behavior modifications, including better eating habits and regular physical activity (including resistance training - RT) as a strategy to control and prevent the problem. Traditionally, diets poor in energy and fat (conventional diets - CONV) have been recommended to promote losses in body and fat masses; however, there has been recently a growing interest in the academic community to investigate the effects of low carbohydrate diet (LCD) on health outcomes, since this kind of diet appears to be more effective for reducing body mass as compared to CONV. Nevertheless, evidences are scarce regarding the effects of LCD associated to RT on body composition, strength performance, blood lipids, endothelium function and other markers of health, demanding the development of clinical trials aiming to determine the combined health effects of these interventions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI equal or over 25 kg/m2
• resistance trained at least 12 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• upper or lower limbs injury
• pregnancy
• diabetes
• use of ergogenics, stimulants or drugs
• history of dislipidemias
• arterial hypertension