Short-term effects of a 12-week Zumba program on thyroid and cardiometabolic markers in overweight/obese postmenopausal women: A randomized pilot study

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week Zumba training program on Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Free Thyroxine (FT4), lipid profile, and anthropometric parameters in overweight and obese postmenopausal women. METHODS: Twenty-two women (aged 44‒60 years) were randomly assigned to a Zumba training group (ZG; n = 11) or a control group (CG; n = 11). The ZG participated in 60-min Zumba sessions three times per week for 12-weeks, while the CG maintained their usual lifestyle. Before and after the intervention, participants underwent assessments of body composition, blood pressure, and circulating levels of TSH, FT4, Total Cholesterol (TC), and Triglycerides (TG). RESULTS: Following the intervention, the ZG showed significant reductions in TSH (p = 0.001; Cohen's d (d) = 0.90), TG levels (p = 0.043; d = 0.75), body fat percentage, body mass index, waist and hip circumference, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (all p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed for FT4 and TC levels. No notable changes were recorded in the CG. CONCLUSIONS: The 12-week Zumba program can serve as a feasible and enjoyable strategy for promoting physical activity in overweight and obese postmenopausal women, leading to improvements in thyroid function, TG levels, body composition, and blood pressure. These preliminary findings support the potential of Zumba for enhancing cardiometabolic health during menopause, though larger, long-term trials are needed to confirm these effects and investigate their durability.