Aerobic exercise training reduces inflammatory markers involved in atherosclerosis

Adipose tissue and inflammatory factors play important role in occurrence of atherosclerosis in overweight women. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise training on risk factors involved in atherosclerosis in overweight women.

For this, fourteen overweight women (mean ± standard deviation: body mass index 28.49 ± 3.28 k/m2 and body fat  35.01 ± 3.68%) conducted aerobic exercise training for 8 weeks (at intensity correspond with 65 to 80 % reserved heart rate). Before and after aerobic exercise training, fasting blood samples were taken and anthropometrics characteristics were measured. The data were analyzed using Paired sample t-test (P<0.05).

Aerobic exercise training significantly increased maximal oxygen consumption in overweight women (P=0.001). In contrast, aerobic exercise training result in significant reduction in intracellular adhesion molecule 1 levels (P=0.013) and C-reactive protein (P=0.001). In addition, anthropometric measurements of body fat percentage (P=0.006), waist to hip ratio (P=0.01), and body mass index (P=0.001) showed a significant reduction, too. However, no significant change observed in platelet (P=0.127), high density lipoprotein (P=0.107), low density lipoprotein (P=0.095) and cholesterol (P=0.391) levels.

Reduction in body fat following aerobic exercise training in overweight women is corresponding with a reduction in inflammatory markers involved in atherosclerosis.