Structured Sanda Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Cycling for Young Men with Obesity

Innovative and engaging exercise interventions are needed to improve cardiometabolic health and exercise adherence in young adults with obesity. Sanda, a Chinese combat sport characterized by footwork, striking combinations, defensive movements, and attack–recovery transitions, may provide a practical intermittent exercise modality when delivered in a structured and low-contact format. However, its metabolic-load characteristics and adaptive effects in individuals with obesity remain insufficiently understood. This study compared the effects of 12 weeks of structured low-contact Sanda training and moderate-intensity continuous cycling training on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, ventilatory thresholds, and substrate oxidation profiles in young men with obesity, while describing the real-time metabolic-load distribution of both exercise modalities. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the potential benefits and limitations of structured Sanda training as an exercise intervention for obesity-related health promotion. The findings of this study suggest that structured Sanda training and moderate-intensity continuous cycling both improved cardiometabolic and fitness-related outcomes in young men with obesity, but their adaptive profiles differed. Structured low-contact Sanda training may serve as an engaging combat-sport-based exercise option for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and high-intensity exercise tolerance, whereas moderate-intensity continuous cycling may be more favorable for improving fat oxidation profiles and reducing body fat. These findings support the potential value of structured Sanda training as an innovative exercise intervention for obesity-related health promotion, while highlighting the need to interpret the results as a comparison between two practical exercise modalities rather than as a fully load-matched comparison between standardized HIIT and MICT protocols. The results of this study should be considered in the context of the specific exercise modality and population being studied, and future research should aim to further explore the effects of structured Sanda training on cardiometabolic health and exercise adherence in young adults with obesity. The results of this study also highlight the importance of considering the real-time metabolic-load distribution of exercise modalities when designing exercise interventions for obesity-related health promotion. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential benefits of structured Sanda training as an exercise intervention for improving cardiometabolic health and exercise adherence in young men with obesity, and highlights the need for further research to fully understand the effects of this exercise modality on obesity-related health outcomes.