Investigating the Protective Effects of Endurance and Resistance Trainings on Serum level of Cellular and Vascular Adhesive Molecules in Obese Men

Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is the most common cause of metabolic abnormalities, such as metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to compare effects of eight weeks of endurance and strength trainings on serum levels of cellular and vascular adhesion molecules in obese men.

Twenty-four obese men were randomly assigned to control, endurance training and strength training groups. The endurance training group performed a modified treadmill running protocol with an intensity of 50-70% of maximum heart rate. The resistance training included chest press, armpit stretch and leg and crus presses at intensity of 50-80% of one-repetition maximum. Serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM--1) were measured using commercial ELISA kits. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test at significance of 0.05.

Serum VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels decreased significantly in both training groups compared to the control group (P=0.0001). The reduction of serum VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels was more significant in the endurance training group than in the resistance training group.

Given the favorable effects of endurance and resistance trainings on serum levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, the eight-week training could be performed as a protective intervention in obese people.