Exercise program to improve weight, strength, and recovery around bariatric surgery
Official title: Impact of a Structured Physical Exercise Program on Body Composition in Morbid Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Run by Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Fe · NCT06934681 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will test whether a structured exercise plan supported by telerehabilitation helps adults with severe obesity who are having bariatric surgery lose more body fat and gain more strength than usual care.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 72 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Fe Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Valencia, Valencia and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 19, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2028 |
| Study ends | April 2029 |
| Registry record updated | November 10, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06934681 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18–65 with BMI ≥40 (or ≥35 with comorbidities) who are scheduled for bariatric surgery and are medically cleared to participate in an exercise program are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled diabetes with severe complications, musculoskeletal or systemic conditions that prevent exercise, recent participation in a structured exercise program, or inability to use telerehabilitation may not benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a randomized clinical trial that will assign 72 adults with severe obesity to either a structured exercise program (with supervised and home-based sessions delivered partly via telerehabilitation) or to usual care including nutritional counseling. The intervention spans the pre- and post-operative periods around bariatric surgery and includes strength and aerobic training components. Primary outcomes include body fat loss and muscle strength, with secondary measures of body composition, functional capacity, quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, and selected genetic and metabolic markers. Participants will be evaluated at scheduled in-person visits at the study sites in Valencia and remotely for telerehabilitation sessions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help people having bariatric surgery lose more body fat, improve strength and fitness, and recover functional ability more quickly than standard care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous prehabilitation and rehabilitation exercise programs around bariatric surgery have shown improvements in fitness and body composition, but telerehabilitation delivery has been less extensively tested and evidence is still limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 18-65 years * BMI ≥35 with comorbidities, or ≥40, regardless of comorbidity presence Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in a structured physical exercise program within the past 6 months * Presence of musculoskeletal or systemic diseases that prevent participation in a physical exercise program * Uncontrolled hypertension * Uncontrolled diabetes, particularly in the presence of severe complications (neuropathy and/or diabetic foot, proliferative retinopathy) * Uncontrolled or unstable cardiovascular disease (acute myocardial infarction within the past year, angina, heart failure, peripheral artery disease)
Where it's running
-
Hospital La Fe
Valencia, Valencia, Spain Recruiting -
Facultad de Fisioterapia, universidad de Valencia
Valencia, Valencia, Spain Active not recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Paolo Rossetti, Medicine — IIS La Fe
- Study coordinator: Paolo Rossetti, Medicine
- Email: rossetti_paolo@gva.es
- Phone: +34608109913
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.