2.4. Sample Size and Statistical Analysis
The G*Power software was used to calculate the sample size (version 3.0.10, Germany). According to F tests (multivariate analysis of variance: MANOVA repeated measures, within–between interactions), a sample size of 60 patients was sufficient, with a Type I error of 0.05, a power of 80%, and an effect size of 0.37. The sample size for each group was increased by 5 patients to account for the dropout rate. The study’s consort diagram is described in Before conducting the data analysis, the normality and homogeneity of variance were examined, and no deviations were found for any of the dependent variables, according to the results of the Shapiro–Wilk test and Levene’s test. The significant difference in demographic data (age, body mass, height, and BMI) between the three groups was tested with a one-way ANOVA. The overall effect of treatment, time, or the interaction between time and treatment was estimated using a 3 × 3 mixed-design multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Wilks’ lambda was used to calculate the F value, and additional univariate ANOVAs (two-way mixed models) were carried out when the MANOVA showed a significant time group interaction effect. The alpha level of significance was set at 