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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Mar 29;29(2):144.
doi: 10.1007/s11325-025-03310-6.

Short-time resistance training enhances sleep quality in obese and non-obese young women

Thaís Alves de Paiva Ferreira  1   2 , Lucas Melo Neves  3 , Alberto Jiménez-Maldonado  4 , Larissa Kelly de Araújo Cardoso  5 , Paulo Egdio Araújo Ferreira  5 , Joniel Ronney Gomes da Silva  5   6 , Clara Andressa de Araujo Barros  7   5 , Nathanael Leal Santana  5   6 , Ivoneide Maria Rodrigues de Araújo  5 , Paula Alves Monteiro  6 , Fabrício Eduardo Rossi  8   9   10
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Short-time resistance training enhances sleep quality in obese and non-obese young women

Thaís Alves de Paiva Ferreira et al. Sleep Breath. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term resistance training on sleep quantity and quality in young women, according to their body fat.

Methods: Thirty-five young women were randomly assigned based on their body fat levels, using the 90th percentile of fat mass as a criterion, with a threshold set at ≥ 21 kg of fat mass for the obese group (n = 16) and < 21 kg of fat mass for the non-obese group (n = 19). Subjective sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at pre and post a progressive six-week full-body resistance training (RT).

Results: Post-intervention analysis showed a reduction in the overall sleep score (p = 0.006, η2 = 0.21), improvement in subjective sleep quality (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.357) and a decrease in sleep disturbances (p = 0.034; η2 = 0.129). However, no interaction between group x training for sleep parameters and body composition was observed (p > 0.05). There were no significant correlations between sleep quality, fat mass and fat-free mass in both groups investigated (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Six-weeks of RT improved subjective sleep quality and reduced sleep disturbances in young women, regardless of the amount of fat mass. Sleep variables were not associated with changes in body composition.

Keywords: Exercise; Insufficient sleep; Obesity; Strength training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: The study was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki 1964 and its later amendments. and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil (Protocol: 6.187.147). Before starting the study, all the participants signed an informed consent form. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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