Abstract
Over the past two decades, scientists have attempted to evaluate whether the point of maximal fat oxidation (FATmax) and the aerobic threshold (AerT) are connected. The existence of such a relationship would allow a more tailored training approach for athletes while improving the ef cacy of individualized exercise prescriptions when treating numerous health-related issues. However, studies have reported con icting results, and this issue remains unresolved. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed: (i) to examine the strength of the association between FATmaxand AerT by using the effect size (ES) of correlation coef cient (r) and standardized mean difference (SMD); (ii) to identify potential moderators and their in uence on ES variability. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021239351) and ClinicalTrials (NCT03789045). PubMed and Google Scholar were searched and fourteen articles, consisting of overall 35 ES forrand 26 ES for SMD were included. Obtained ESs were analyzed using a multilevel random-effects meta-analysis. Our results support the presence of a signi cant association between FATmaxand AerT exercise intensities. In conclusion, due to the large ES variance caused by clinical and methodological differences among the studies, we recommend that future studies follow strict standardization of data collection and analysis of FATmax and AerT-related outcomes.