The Impact of Stationary Combined Exercise on Adiponectin and Hs-CRP Levels in Overweight Women (SCEX-ADCRP)

November 15, 2025 updated by: Xianjie Zheng

The Impact of Stationary Combined Exercise on Adiponectin and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Levels in Overweight Women

This study looked at whether a specific exercise program can improve inflammatory markers in overweight young women. We tested an eight-week, circuit-style exercise program that combines aerobic and resistance activities (e.g., sit-ups, step jumps, push-ups, jump rope, jumping jacks, medicine-ball lifts). Participants exercised four times per week at a moderate-to-high intensity, with a warm-up and cool-down at each session.

Twenty-two women (ages 20-30 years; BMI 25-31 kg/m²) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) the exercise group completed the training program; (2) the control group continued usual daily activities without a structured program. Before starting and 48 hours after finishing the program, we took fasting blood samples to measure two markers: adiponectin (a hormone made by fat tissue that supports healthy metabolism and has anti-inflammatory effects) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (a blood marker of inflammation and cardiovascular risk).

The main outcomes were the changes in adiponectin and hs-CRP from before to after the 8-week period. We also recorded weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and fitness (VO₂max). The study was conducted at the Exercise Physiology Laboratory, College of Physical Education and Health, Chongqing College of International Business and Economics (Chongqing, China). The research ethics committee approved the protocol, and all participants provided written informed consent.

Recruitment and data collection are complete. Findings suggest that this circuit-based exercise program can increase adiponectin and lower hs-CRP, alongside improvements in body composition, in overweight young women.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
22

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
      • Chongqing, China
        • College of Physical Education and Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Female sex Age 20 to 30 years BMI 25 to 31 kg/m² Body weight 63 to 87 kg Generally healthy, without diagnosed chronic illness Willing and able to provide written informed consent Willing to refrain from vigorous physical activity for 48 hours before blood sampling Able to attend 4 supervised training sessions per week for 8 weeks (if assigned to intervention)

Exclusion Criteria:

History of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes Current smoking or tobacco use Current use of medications or supplements that affect metabolism or inflammatory markers Pregnancy or breastfeeding Contraindications to moderate-to-high intensity exercise on screening Participation in regular vigorous exercise training within the past 6 months Inability or unwillingness to comply with study procedures (e.g., missing >2 consecutive training sessions)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Combined Exercise Group
Arm 1 reflects the circuit-based combined exercise intervention.
Behavioral: Combined Exercise Group
Participants completed an eight-week circuit-based combined exercise program, four sessions per week, at an intensity of 70-90% of maximum heart rate. Each session began with a 10-15 minute warm-up (stretching and light jogging) and ended with a 5-10 minute cool-down (walking and stretching). The main exercise protocol included six stations (sit-ups, step jumps, push-ups, jump rope, jumping jacks, and medicine ball lifting), performed in three rounds. The duration at each station progressively increased from 60 seconds (weeks 1-2) to 150 seconds (weeks 7-8), with rest intervals of 30-50 seconds between stations and 3-5 minutes between rounds. Exercise intensity was monitored with a Polar heart rate monitor to ensure participants stayed within the target zone.
Other Names:
  • High-Intensity Circuit-Based Combined Exercise
  • Combined Stationary Exercise
  • SCEX Program (Stationary Combined Exercise)
Experimental: Control Group
Arm 2 reflects the no structured exercise condition.
Behavioral: No Structured Exercise
Participants in the control group will not receive any structured exercise program during the eight-week study period. They will be instructed to maintain their usual daily routines and refrain from initiating any new organized exercise or training programs beyond their routine physical education classes and everyday activities.
Other Names:
  • Usual Activity
  • No Exercise Program

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Serum Adiponectin Concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and 48 hours post-intervention (end of week 8).
Serum adiponectin (µg/mL) quantified by ELISA in the fasting state; difference from baseline to 48 hours after completion of the 8-week exercise program.
Baseline and 48 hours post-intervention (end of week 8).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Serum Adiponectin Concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and 48 hours post-intervention (end of week 8).
Serum adiponectin (µg/mL) quantified by ELISA in the fasting state; difference from baseline to 48 hours after completion of the 8-week exercise program.
Baseline and 48 hours post-intervention (end of week 8).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Xianjie Zheng

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 20, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 13, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 14, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 19, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 15, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • College of Physical Education
  • K2016038 (Registry Identifier: Ethics Approval Number (Chongqing College of International Business and Economics Research Ethics Committee).)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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