Supervised Exercise Immediately After Bariatric Surgery: the Study Protocol of the EFIBAR Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background Previous studies have investigated weight loss caused by exercise following bariatric surgery. However, in most cases, the training programis poorly reported; the exercise type, volume, and intensity are briefly mentioned; and the sample size, selection criteria, and follow-up time vary greatly across studies. Purpose The EFIBAR study aims to investigate over 1 year the effects of a 16-week supervised exercise program, initiated immediately after bariatric surgery, on weight loss (primary outcome), body composition, cardiometabolic risk, physical fitness, and quality of life in patients with severe/extreme obesity. Material and Methods The EFIBAR study is a parallel-group, superiority, randomized controlled trial (RCT), comprising 80 surgery patients. Half of the participants, randomly selected, perform a 16-week supervised exercise program, including both strength and aerobic training, starting immediately after the surgery (7–14 days). For each participant, all primary and secondary outcomes are measured at three different time points: (i) before the surgery, (ii) after the intervention (≈4 months), and (iii) 1 year after the surgery.