The Effectiveness of Pilates Training and Vitamin D Intake on the hs-CRP and TSH in Overweight Men

Vitamin D deficiency is known as a risk factor for various diseases and plays an important role in regulating systemic inflammation and thyroid function.

The study was done to survey the effectiveness of Pilates training and vitamin D intake on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels in overweight men.

This clinical trial was conducted on 50 overweight men aged 45-55 years. Subjects were selected through available sampling and randomly assigned to the Pilates training, Pilates training with vitamin D, vitamin D, and control groups. The Pilates training was performed for eight weeks with the intensity of 50%-75% of reserve heart rate in 3 sessions/week. The supplement groups received 50000IU vitamin D weekly. The levels of hs-CRP and TSH were measured at first and eighth weeks after interventions. The data were analyzed by paired t-test and one-way ANOVA (p˂0.05).

The results showed that 60% and 40% of the subjects had a vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, respectively. Also, eight weeks of Pilates training, vitamin D intake, and the combined intervention resulted in a significant decrease in hs-CRP and TSH levels (p<0.05). Also, the combined intervention was associated with a stronger effect on the reduction of these factors compared with two other interventions (p˂0.05).

It seems that abnormal levels of vitamin D are common in overweight men and vitamin D intake, Pilates training, and the combination can improve thyroid function and systemic inflammation in overweight men with abnormal vitamin D status. However, the combined intervention is associated with stronger effects.