The effect of endurance, resistance and concurrent training on the structure of the heart of healthy middle-aged women

Exercise plays an important role in promoting cardiovascular function. Also concurrent endurance and resistance training can have different effects on the heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endurance, resistance and concurrent resistance and endurance training on the heart structure of healthy middle-aged women.

Forty healthy middle-aged women (mean age 44.62±3.45 years, height 157.75±4.87 cm and weight 73.27±10.64 kg) were randomly divided into four groups (10 people in each group): Control, Endurance, Strength and Concurrent. The training program was conducted in a period of eight weeks, three sessions per week. Endurance group were running on the treadmill incrementally. The resistance group performed eight exercises incrementally in each session. The concurrent group performed half of both endurance and resistance training in each session. Left ventricular end diastolic and systolic diameters, post-wall thickness, septum wall thickness and left ventricular mass were measured by m-mode and 2-D echocardiography.

The end systolic diameter in the concurrent group and end diastolic diameter and left ventricular mass in endurance and concurrent groups were significantly increased compared to pre-training (P≤ 0.05).  The left ventricular mass in the endurance and concurrent group was significantly different from that of the control group (P≤ 0.05).

It can be concluded that concurrent endurance and resistance training is effective in making some structural adaptations of the heart in middle-aged women.