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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Cardiovascular Benefits of Group Sport Interventions: Importance of Improved Fitness in Risk Reduction

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BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. Group sport participation offers a unique, engaging approach for delivering physical activity interventions, but its overall effect on cardiometabolic risk factors is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the pooled effects of community-based, recreational-level group sports on cardiometabolic risk factors and fitness parameters among adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: We systematically searched electronic databases for English articles reporting the effectiveness of recreational-level group sports, published between January 1, 1965 and January 17, 2017. We extracted baseline and end of intervention means for cardiometabolic and fitness parameters. Random- or fixed-effects meta-analyses were used to obtain pooled pre/post change in outcome means within intervention participants and between groups. From 2,491 screened titles, 23 publications were included (N=902, age [mean±SD] 46.6±11.7 yrs), comprised of 21 soccer and two rugby interventions. Intervention participants achieved larger improvements compared to control subjects in weight (−1.44 kg [−1.79, −1.08]), BMI (−0.88 kg/m(2) [−1.73, −0.03]), waist circumference (−0.77 cm [−1.21, −0.33]), body fat % (−1.80% [−3.12, −0.49]), total cholesterol (−0.33 mmol/L [−0.53, −0.13]), LDL cholesterol (−0.35 mmol/L [−0.54, −0.15]), systolic blood pressure (BP) (−5.71 mmHg [−7.98, −3.44]), diastolic BP (−3.36 mmHg [−4.93, −1.78]), VO(2) max (3.93 mL/min/kg [2.96, 4.91]), and RHR (−5.51 beats/min [−7.37, −3.66]). Most studies (n=16) were classified as high-quality, and we found no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant cardiometabolic and fitness improvements following group sport participation, primarily recreational soccer. Findings suggest group sport interventions are promising strategies for reducing cardiometabolic risk in adults.