Effects of Adapted Taekwondo Versus Conventional Training on Anthropometric Variables and Physical Function in Older Women With Abdominal Obesity (RCT)

Effects of Adapted Taekwondo Versus Conventional Training on Anthropometric Variables and Physical Function in Older Women With Abdominal Obesity: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effects of TKD on anthropometric and physical function parameters in older women with abdominal obesity, compared with conventional exercise interventions such as MCT, and WE. We hypothesized that TKD would produce greater improvements in abdominal fat and physical function than MCT and WE in older women with abdominal obesity.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Obesity & Overweight; Older Women
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: walking exercise; Behavioral: multicomponent training; Behavioral: taekwondo training

Detailed Description

This study was designed as a randomized, repeated-measures, double-blind controlled trial with a quantitative approach and three parallel intervention arms: taekwondo training (TKD), multicomponent training (MCT), and walking exercise (WE). The intervention period lasted 16 weeks, comprising 48 sessions delivered three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with each session lasting 60 min. The outcomes assessed included anthropometric indicators, such as BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage, and fat-free mass, as well as physical function, maximal isometric handgrip strength, and postural balance. All evaluations were conducted in the morning, between 10:00 and 12:00, at the same facilities, including the sports center and community headquarters. Environmental conditions, such as temperature, were controlled, and the same evaluators performed the baseline and post-intervention assessments. No musculoskeletal or cardiorespiratory injuries were reported during the intervention period, and participants did not report pain either before the assessments or during the training sessions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Pablo Váldes, PhD; Phone Number: +56953646566; Email: valdesbadilla@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• (i) women aged 60-65 years
• (ii) waist circumference >88 cm
• (iii) ability to understand and follow contextualized instructions based on simple commands
• (iv) functional independence, defined as a score of ≥43 points on the Preventive Medicine Examination for Older Adults of the Chilean Ministry of Health.
• (v) capacity to comply with at least 85% of the scheduled intervention sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (i) presence of disability
• (ii) participation in physical rehabilitation or presence of musculoskeletal injuries limiting usual physical activity
• (iii) permanent or temporary contraindication to participation in physical exercise.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: walking exercise; The WE program began with a 5-min warm-up that included joint mobility and flexibility exercises.	Behavioral: walking exercise; program began with a 5-min warm-up that included joint mobility and flexibility exercises. The main section consisted of walking on level ground for 35 to 50 min, with duration progressively increased by 5 min every four weeks. Each session ended with a 5-min cool-down involving static and dynamic flexibility exercises. Exercise intensity was maintained at a moderate-to-vigorous level, corresponding to 50% to 70% of HRmax, and was monitored using heart rate sensor straps (H10, Polar Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland). Training progression was adjusted every four weeks by increasing walking duration by 5 min and individually regulating cadence, thereby increasing the distance covered by each participant. Perceived exertion was also assessed using Borg's 10-point scale. and complemented with heart rate monitoring. Figure 2 summarizes the evaluation schedule and intervention sessions.
Experimental: multicomponent training; The MCT program was organized as a 40-min circuit using elastic bands, poles, 2-kg medicine balls, and chairs.	Behavioral: multicomponent training; program was organized as a 40-min circuit using elastic bands, poles, 2-kg medicine balls, and chairs. The main section included exercises aimed at improving agility, postural balance, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Strength exercises involved major lower-limb muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and gastrocnemius, as well as upper-limb and trunk-related muscles such as the biceps, triceps, deltoids, and latissimus dorsi. During the first four weeks, the training volume consisted of three sets of 10 repetitions for each strength exercise, with 2 min of rest between sets. Movement execution was controlled, with approximately 2 s for the concentric phase and 4 s for the eccentric phase. From weeks 5 to 8, the volume increased to four sets of 10 repetitions per exercise, maintaining 2 min of rest between sets. During weeks 9 to 12, four sets were maintained, while repetitions increased to 12. In the final phase, from weeks 13 to 16.; Other Names: MCT
Experimental: taekwondo training; The TKD program consisted of non-contact exercises performed during the main section of each session. This component included 10 min of basic stances and upper-limb technical actions, such as blocks and strikes, followed by 20 min of lower-limb techniques, including movements, stances, and kicks.	Behavioral: taekwondo training; The TKD program consisted of non-contact exercises performed during the main section of each session. This component included 10 min of basic stances and upper-limb technical actions, such as blocks and strikes, followed by 20 min of lower-limb techniques, including movements, stances, and kicks. These exercises were performed individually and in pairs, with and without taekwondo pads and shields. In addition, specific choreographies or poomsae, including Kibom Poomsae and Il Jang, were practiced for 10 min. During the first four weeks, participants completed three sets of eight repetitions of specific upper- and lower-limb technical exercises, with 2 min of rest between sets From weeks 5 to 8, training volume increased to four sets of eight repetitions for each technical exercise, maintaining 2 min of recovery between sets.; Other Names: TKD

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body mass	Body mass was assessed using a digital scale (Seca 769, Germany; precision 0.1 kg), while standing height was measured with a stadiometer (Seca 220, Germany; precision 0.1 cm).	16 weeks
Body mass index (BMI)	was calculated as body mass in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.	16 weeks
Abdominal obesity	Abdominal obesity was classified according to waist circumference, using a cut-off point of ≥88 cm for women.	16 weeks
Senior Fitness Test battery	Lower-limb muscle strength was determined through the 30-s chair stand test, recording the total number of repetitions completed within 30 s. Upper-limb muscle strength was assessed with the arm curl test, in which participants performed as many repetitions as possible in 30 s using a 3-pound dumbbell. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the 2-min step test, which records the number of knee raises performed to the required height, corresponding approximately to 70° of hip flexion. Lower-body flexibility was assessed with the chair sit-and-reach test and expressed in centimeters. Upper-body flexibility was evaluated using the back scratch test, also reported in centimeters. Agility and dynamic balance were assessed using the timed up-and-go test, in which participants walked around a cone placed 8 feet (2.44 m) away, with performance recorded in seconds.	16 weeks
Maximal Isometric Handgrip Strength	Maximal isometric handgrip strength was measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer (Camry, model EH101, Zhongshan, China), following previously described procedures. Participants were seated with the shoulder slightly abducted, the elbow flexed, the forearm in a neutral position, and the wrist maintained in neutral alignment. The dynamometer was adjusted according to each participant's hand size to ensure a comfortable and functional grip, allowing adequate flexion of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints and appropriate contact between the thumb and index finger. Each participant performed three trials with each hand, separated by 120 s of rest, and the highest value obtained across the attempts was used for analysis.	16 weeks
Postural Balance	Postural balance was assessed by measuring center-of-pressure displacement using a force platform (ArtOficio Ltd., Valparaíso, Chile), according to previously reported recommendations. Data were collected at a sampling frequency of 40 Hz. Balance was evaluated under two visual conditions: eyes open and eyes closed, with each trial lasting 30 s. Participants were instructed to stand barefoot in a bipedal position, with their feet approximately shoulder-width apart, arms relaxed alongside the body, and to remain as still as possible throughout the assessment. Center-of-pressure area and velocity were calculated using Matlab R2012a software (MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA, USA).	16 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Católica del Maule
• Collaborators: University of Talca

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 7, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 13, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: combat sport
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Overweight; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: (n. 29-2022); 29 (Registry Identifier: 2022)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Confidentiality of the data will be generated, as expressed in the ethics committee

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No