Effects of "Exercise Snack" in Individuals With Obesity (OBEXSNACK)

November 9, 2026 updated by: Istituto Auxologico Italiano

Effects of "Exercise Snack" on Physical Fitness,Vbody Composition, Enjoyment and Quality of Life in Outpatients With Obesity

Obesity is associated with reduced physical fitness, functional limitations, and poorer quality of life (Kell et al., 2001). Nutritional support and supervised exercise can improve weight management and physical health, but low motivation and perceived lack of time often limit participation to physical activity (Alberga et al., 2013; Baillot et al., 2021). Evidence shows that shorter-time exercise strategies may help overcome these barriers and support training adherence (Poon et al., 2020). Brief activity bouts distributed throughout the day, including vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity and structured "exercise snacks," may help to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle function, and metabolic health (Islam et al., 2022; Ahmadi et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024). Observational evidence also links VILPA to lower mortality risk (Stamatakis et al., 2023). Combining brief exercise bouts with education to interrupt prolonged sitting may therefore address both insufficient physical activity and sedentary behaviour (Dunstan et al., 2021; Dogra et al., 2022; Pinto et al., 2023). Generally, research has largely focused on healthy, inactive adults, with limited evidence in people with overweight or obesity (Jones et al., 2024). Rafiei et al. (2021) reported acute improvements in insulin and non-esterified fatty acid responses following brief stair-climbing bouts compared with prolonged sitting in adults with obesity. Schmidt et al. (2001) found comparable improvements in body composition and aerobic fitness following accumulated or continuous exercise during caloric restriction. The effects of exercise snacks combined with education to reduce sedentary behaviour nevertheless remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the effects of an exercise-snacking programme on body composition, physical fitness, quality of life, and exercise adherence in adults with obesity.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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 (Estimated)

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.
8

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Mi
      • Milan, Mi, Italy, 20145
        • Recruiting
        • Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS
        • Contact:

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

30 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female gender
  • Body Mass Index more than 30 kg/m2
  • Participation in physical activity fewer than twice per week
  • informed consent signature

Exclusion Criteria:

  • aged more than 70 years
  • history of disabling musculoskeletal or osteoarticular conditions that prevent regular participation in physical activity, with a pain score > of 7 out of 10 arbitrary units on the visual analogue scale (VAS)
  • history of hip or knee replacement
  • Surgery within the 6 months preceding the study
  • presence of severe hip or knee osteoarthrosis
  • presence of cardiac, neurological or psychiatric disordes

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Exercise Snack Group

Exercise snacks activity throughout the day
Other: Exercise snack

10-week-home-based training protocol to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and stability performed through a short bout of physical activity called "exercise snack". The programme consists of high-intensity home-based exercises performed in five 2-minute bouts per day, spaced 2 hours apart, for 7 days (10 minutes of exercise per day).
Experimental: Traditional Fitness Group

Conventional circuit training exercise
Other: Conventional exercise training

10-week-home-based training protocol to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and stability performed through a circuit-training mode. The programme consists of home-based exercises performed in a circuit-training format (time of work per set 20 s, time of rest between each exercise 10 s, time of rest between sets 2 min, total volume 3 sets) for a duration of 35 min with a frequency of 3 days per week while performing traditional strength and postural control exercises.

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 from baseline fat mass at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Fat mass percentage measurement using a bioelectric impedance analysis
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline fat free mass at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Fat free mass percentage measurement using a bioelectric impedance analysis
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline waist circumference at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Waist circumference using a 200 centimeters tape measure in centimeters
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline weight at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Body weight using a calibrated weight scale in kilograms
up to ten weeks

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 from baseline body balance at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Body stability using the modified version of the Balance Error Scoring System protocol in arbitrary units with a 0-30 point scale in which lower scores mean a better outcome
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline upper-body muscular strength at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Maximal isometric grip strength in kilograms using the handgrip dynamometer
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline lower-body muscular strength at six weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Amount of time in seconds during a chair raise using the Five Repetition Sit-To-Stand protocol
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline cardiorespiratory fitness at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Heart rate monitor in beats per minute during a 45-second squat exercise using the Ruffier-Dickson squat test protocol
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline amount of physical activity at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Weekly amount of physical activity and sedentary time using the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire expressed in mets per week
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline enjoyment at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Exercise enjoyment using the short-form PACES scale questionnaire in arbitrary units with a 0-5 point scale in which higher scores mean a better outcome
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline adherence at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Exercise enjoyment using the Exercise Adherence Rating Scale questionnaire in arbitrary units with a 0-5 point scale in which higher scores mean a better outcome
up to ten weeks
Change from baseline quality of life perception at ten weeks
Time Frame: up to ten weeks

Subjective quality of life perception using the using the EuroQol EQ-5D VAS in arbitrary units with a 0-100 point scale in which higher scores mean a better outcome
up to ten weeks

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.
Istituto Auxologico Italiano

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Luca Cavaggioni, PhD, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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.
November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 25, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
March 31, 2027

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).
November 9, 2026

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 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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 13, 2026

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 13, 2026

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 9, 2026

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, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 43C504

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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