Resistance training frequency and hyperuricemia in South Korea, 2016-2023: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES

Hyperuricemia affects approximately one in seven adults in the Western Pacific region and is linked to multiple cardiometabolic diseases. Despite established benefits of resistance training for metabolic health, its relationship with hyperuricemia remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between resistance training frequency and hyperuricemia in Korean adults.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2023).

METHODS

This study included 36,931 Korean adults aged ≥19 years. Participants were categorized by weekly resistance training frequency: 0-1, 2-3, and ≥4 days per week. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid >7.0 mg/dL in men and >6.0 mg/dL in women. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Overall hyperuricemia prevalence was 12.7% (95% CI 12.2-13.1) and 15.7% (95% CI 14.3-17.0) for resistance training ≥4 days per week. Training ≥4 days per week was associated with higher odds of hyperuricemia (OR: 1.15; 95% CI 1.01-1.31), particularly among individuals meeting physical activity guidelines of the World Health Organization (OR: 1.32; 95% CI 1.07-1.63).

CONCLUSIONS

While minimum resistance training recommendations are well-established, these cross-sectional findings suggest that very high training frequency may be associated with increased hyperuricemia odds, a relationship that warrants further investigation.