Effect of water- versus land-based exercise training as a component of a multidisciplinary intervention program for overweight and obese adolescents

- Water- and land-based exercises led to similar improvements after the intervention.
- Land-based group dropped out more for demotivation and preference for other activities.
- Only land-based exercise intervention group improved social dimension of HRQoL.

To compare water- versus land-based exercise programs, as part of a multidisciplinary intervention, on physical fitness and health-related quality of life in overweight and obese adolescents. A total of 151 overweight and obese adolescents (age: 13.2 ± 1.8 years) were divided into: 1) a water-based intervention (WB; n = 28); 2) a land-based intervention (LB; n = 57); and 3) a control group (CG; n = 66). Anthropometric measures, body composition, flexibility, abdominal strength/endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life were assessed prior and by the end of a 16-week intervention. Both the water- and land-based interventions were part of a multidisciplinary program focusing on behavioral changes. Fat Mass (%) was significantly reduced in both intervention groups and a higher progression was observed in the WB group (− 9.8 ± 7.2% versus − 6.1 ± 6.2%; p < 0.05 for pre-to-post changes within-groups). However, LB increased more abdominal strength than WB (69.6 ± 165.8% versus 53.4 ± 83.4%; p < 0.05) and significantly increased social (19.7 ± 88.8%), psychosocial (5.1 ± 15.1%) and total score (6.3 ± 14.8%), which was observed in neither WB nor CG. The intervention groups did not change body weight (WB: − 1.7 ± 5.3%; LB: 0.1 ± 3.4%; p > 0.05 for both groups) and increased (p < 0.05) fat-free mass (WB: 4.6 ± 4.0%; LB: 4.4 ± 4.1%), VO2max (WB: 9.3 ± 7.8%; LB: 11.0 ± 13.4%), and physical dimension of quality of life (WB: 9.2 ± 17.2%; LB: 8.9 ± 18.0%) differently of what was observed in CG. The physical dimension improvement observed in the land-based and water-based samples was associated with decreased percentage fat mass (r = 0.282 and 0.229; p < 0.05). We suggest water- and land-based physical exercises within a multidisciplinary program promote similar improvements in body composition, physical fitness and health-related quality of life in overweight and obese adolescents.