When carbohydrate is replaced with protein while keeping fat intake at recommended levels (VLCHP and LCMP), larger decreases in waist circumference, body mass, fat mass and fat-free mass when compared to a diet that has a higher proportion of carbohydrate (HCLP) in addition to greater decreases in fasting insulin levels. As expected, regular participation in a resistance-based circuit exercise program resulted in marked losses of body mass, improvements in body composition and overall improvements in cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness.
Participation in the exercise program allowed for weight loss without concomitant reductions in resting energy expenditure. Additionally, those participants who were identified to have a low resting energy expenditure at baseline also experienced weight loss while exercising, but being prescribed a diet higher in calories. Significant reductions in leptin levels as well as improvements in fitness, markers of health, health-related quality of life, and body image were found for all individuals who followed the exercise program. These findings suggest that replacing carbohydrate with protein can be an effective strategy to improve body composition and reduce cardiovascular disease markers while participating in a resistance-based circuit exercise program in sedentary overweight women.