Concurrent Exercise Effects in Post-Bariatric Patients

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a 5-week concurrent exercise program (aerobic and resistance training) on muscle quality, body composition, functional response, and quality of life in individuals undergoing bariatric surgery. This is a single-center, prospective, longitudinal, randomized controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups: an intervention group and a control group. A total of 87 adults aged 18 to 60 years who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and have a medical indication for metabolic rehabilitation will be recruited. The intervention group will participate in a structured, semi-supervised concurrent exercise program for 5 weeks, consisting of two in-person sessions per week (10 sessions in total), whereas the control group will continue receiving usual kinesiology care and standard clinical management according to the institutional rehabilitation protocol at Clínica BUPA Santiago. All participants will be assessed at two time points: baseline, during the fourth postoperative week, and at week 7. The primary outcome will be the change in rectus femoris muscle quality assessed by ultrasound (echo intensity). Secondary outcomes will include body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis), functional response (One-minute Sit-to-Stand Test), and quality of life (Moorehead-Ardelt II questionnaire). Additionally, adherence to the exercise program in the intervention group will be assessed as the percentage of attendance at supervised exercise sessions, and its association with the magnitude of changes in study outcomes will be explored. The findings are expected to provide clinically relevant evidence regarding the effectiveness of exercise during the early postoperative period and to contribute to the optimization of metabolic rehabilitation strategies following bariatric surgery.