The effect of concurrent resistance and aerobic training on serum level of homocysteine and lipid profile in overweight men

Homocysteine is a new cardiovascular risk factor that its increased concentration can lead to increased rate of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of an 8-week concurrent training (resistance and aerobic) on serum level of homocysteine and lipid profile in overweight men. Thirty overweight males (age=22-42 years old and BMI≥29) were randomly divided into experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15). The experimental group performed 3 sessions of aerobic and resistance training every week, for 8weeks. Each session included 10-12 stations of strength training with intensity of 80-70% of 1RM and in the last session, subjects performed aerobic running exercise for 12-20 minutes with 80-70% of MHR. We used independent t-test to make comparison between the groups and paired t-test to compare pretest and post test results. The results showed that homocysteine serum concentrations were not significantly changed after 8-week of concurrent training (P≥0.05). However, cholesterol(P=0.01), body weight(P=0.001) and body mass index (BMI)(P=0.01) significantly decreased after the training. In general, it seems that concurrent training can lead to positive effect on lipid profile of obese men. On the other hand, we did not find any significant change in the plasma homocysteine level which can be due to inadequate duration and intensity of the training.