Effects of cinnamon supplementation combined with exercise training on anthropometric indices and reproductive hormones in overweight and obese women
Obesity and regional adiposity—particularly increased fat in the thorax and abdomen—are associated with hormonal alterations that can affect female fertility. The study aimed to determine whether adding cinnamon supplementation to a short-term exercise program would produce additional effects on chest circumference, abdominal circumference, and circulating reproductive hormones in overweight and obese women.
This investigation was a randomized controlled trial that enrolled twenty-six inactive overweight and obese women. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups: an exercise-only group (E; n = 13) and an exercise plus cinnamon supplementation group (E+S; n = 13). Baseline and post-intervention measurements were collected to assess changes attributable to the interventions.
Both groups completed a structured 4-week exercise program, with sessions conducted three times per week. In addition to the exercise regimen, the E+S group received cinnamon supplementation three times weekly during the same four-week period. The source text does not provide additional specifics on the exercise modality, intensity, cinnamon dose, formulation, or adherence metrics.
Anthropometric outcomes included chest circumference and abdominal circumference measured before and after the intervention. The study also assessed serum concentrations of four reproductive hormones: estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH).
Both the exercise-only and the exercise-plus-cinnamon groups experienced statistically significant reductions in chest and abdominal circumferences from baseline to the end of the 4-week intervention (reported p ≤ 0.005 for within-group pre-to-post changes). When the two groups were compared directly, a significant between-group difference was reported only for chest circumference (p = 0.003). There was no significant between-group difference for abdominal circumference (p > 0.05).
These findings indicate that the combined intervention of exercise with cinnamon produced an additional measurable change in chest circumference compared with exercise alone, while changes in abdominal circumference were similar across groups.
Both groups showed significant pre-to-post increases in estradiol, progesterone, and FSH, and a significant decrease in LH (all reported p ≤ 0.005). Despite these within-group hormonal shifts, direct comparisons between the exercise-only and exercise-plus-cinnamon groups did not reveal any significant differences for estradiol, progesterone, FSH, or LH (all reported p > 0.05). In other words, cinnamon supplementation did not produce an observable additional effect on the measured reproductive hormone concentrations beyond the changes associated with the exercise intervention.
Within-group (pre-to-post) changes: chest and abdominal circumference decreased significantly in both groups; estradiol, progesterone, and FSH increased while LH decreased significantly in both groups (all p ≤ 0.005).
Between-group comparisons: only chest circumference differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.003). No statistically significant between-group differences were found for abdominal circumference or any of the reproductive hormones (all p > 0.05).
The source does not provide effect sizes, confidence intervals, baseline values, absolute changes, or details on randomization procedures, blinding, or adherence.
The authors concluded that a 4-week exercise program in overweight and obese women was associated with favorable reductions in chest and abdominal circumferences and with alterations in circulating reproductive hormones. Adding cinnamon supplementation produced a significant between-group difference only for chest circumference and did not confer additional measurable benefits for abdominal circumference or the reproductive hormone profile compared with exercise alone. The authors emphasize the potential relevance of exercise-based interventions for anthropometric and hormonal outcomes but advise that these preliminary findings should be confirmed in larger, adequately powered trials.
Reported limitations in the source include the short duration of the intervention (4 weeks) and the small sample size (n = 26), which limit statistical power and generalizability. The published abstract does not report cinnamon dosing, exercise specifics (type, intensity), adherence, or safety/adverse event data. The authors state that larger trials with sufficient power are needed to confirm whether cinnamon provides additive benefits when combined with exercise for abdominal adiposity or reproductive hormone modulation in overweight and obese women.
Overall, the randomized trial provides evidence that short-term exercise is associated with favorable anthropometric and reproductive hormone changes in overweight and obese women, while the incremental value of intermittent cinnamon supplementation remains unproven except for a between-group difference in chest circumference in this small study.