Physical training following gastric bypass: effects on physical activity and quality of life—a randomized controlled trial

Background: Obesity is associated with physical inactivity and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aim to test the hypothesis that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) followed by supervised physical training improves physical activity (PA) levels and HRQoL. Methods: Sixty patients, qualified for RYGB, were at 6 months post-surgery randomized to 26 weeks of a supervised physical training intervention (INT) or to a control (CON) group. PA was assessed by accelerometry and using the questionnaire RPAQ. HRQoL was measured by the SF-36 questionnaire. All assessments were performed pre-surgery and 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery. Results: RYGB did not improve objectively or self-reported PA, but improved all domains of SF-36 (all p < 0.01). Objectively measured light PA, moderate to vigorous PA, and step counts tended to increase in INT compared to CON 12 months after RYGB (0.05 < p < 0.09), but the effects failed to persist. The SF-36 domain “general health” increased in INT compared to CON 24 months after RYGB (p = 0.041). Conclusion: RYGB improves HRQoL, but does not increase PA. Supervised physical training intervention improves general health 24 months after RYGB and tends to improve certain domains of PA right after the intervention period, but fails to increase the patients’ overall PA level over time. Clinical Trial Registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov—no. NCT01690728.