Abstract

Physical exercise is an important component in obesity and cardiometabolic risk management in adolescents, but improving its effectiveness remains challenging. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of high-intensity small-sided soccer games (SSSGs) with traditional soccer group (TSG) on physical fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and metabolic risk biomarkers in adolescent boys with increased metabolic risk. Fifty-one boys (11-15 years) with abdominal obesity were recruited and randomly assigned into one of three groups: i) control group (CG; no exercise, n = 17), ii) SSSG (n = 17), and iii) TSG (n = 17). Over 16 weeks, the SSSG and TSG groups engaged in 3 d/week, 60-min exercise sessions, while the CG continued their usual activities without a structured exercise intervention. SSSG consisted of high-intensity soccer games, while the TSG mimicked the usual soccer practices. Assessments for body composition, blood pressure, physical fitness, and metabolic risk biomarkers were conducted at baseline and immediately after the intervention. The results showed that compared to the CG, SSSG significantly decreased fat mass (p = 0.03) and increased fat-free mass (p = 0.05), while TSG led to significant increases in fat-free mass (p < 0.001) and HbA1c (p < 0.01). When comparing both exercise groups, SSSG was shown to be superior in improving fasting insulin (p = 0.03), HOMA-IR (p = 0.03), total cholesterol (p = 0.04), VLDL cholesterol (p = 0.02), triglycerides (p = 0.03), and the cardiometabolic risk index SPISE (p = 0.02). In conclusion, following a 16-week intervention, SSSG was shown to be superior to TSG in improving cardiometabolic health compared to TSG in adolescents with increased metabolic risk.