Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to summarize available literature that explored the
impact of body mass index (BMI) on physical activity participation among individuals who were
subjected to the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).
Methods: A total of three electronic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed,
were comprehensively searched to identify relevant investigations. The following inclusion
criteria were applied: (1) study design was observational; (2) participants underwent the ACLR;
(3) BMI was estimated as a predictor variable; and (4) outcomes evaluated referred to physical
activity. The risk of bias was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment
Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies.
Results: After a database search, 787 studies were found, and only 10 of them met each of the
eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis. Regarding respondents’ characteristics,
7171 individuals underwent ACLR, 4080 males and 3091 females, with a mean age of
25.5 years. Most importantly, the average BMI of the examined population was 24.9 kg/m2. In all
studies, physical activity was evaluated subjectively using the Tegner activity scale and the Marx
activity scale. The main findings unambiguously demonstrated that a negative relationship between
BMI and physical activity engagement was observed. More specifically, there is convincing
evidence that BMI over 25 kg/m2 harmfully affected subjectively assessed physical activity in
individuals with a history of ACLR.
Conclusion: The results obtained in the presented research indicated that increased values of BMI
were a factor that correlated with reduced physical activity levels in the ACLR population. Hence,
taking into account the clinical and health implications of reduced physical activity participation,
stimulation of a healthy lifestyle, such as a combination of adequately designed physical exercise
and nutrition, seems necessary for the analyzed population.