The effect of eight weeks aerobic exercise training on plasma levels of Calprotectin and insulin resistance in overweight post-menopausal and peri-menopausal women

Inflammatory factors and related disorders (including insulin resistance) increase with the onset of menopause in overweight women; thus the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise training on plasma levels of calprotectin and insulin resistance in overweight post-menopausal and peri-menopausal women. 

Twenty seven overweight women (BMI>25 kg/m2) participated in this study. Subjects were divided into two groups including 13 post-menopausal women (mean age 53.46‌±‌‌5.76 years), and 14 peri-menopausal women (mean age 32.50±7.85 years). The training program consisted of eight weeks of aerobic exercise training, three sessions per week, up to 40-80% of maximal reserve heart rate; each session lasted 25 minutes in the first week and reached to 45 minutes in the 8th week of training. Plasma levels of calprotectin, insulin, glucose, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were measured before and 48 hours after the end of training. Paired t-test was used to determine intragroup changes; while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test were applied to compare intergroup changes at the significant level of p<0.05. 

The results of paired t-test showed that plasma levels of calprotectin increased significantly in both post-menopausal (p=0.01) and peri-menopausal (p=0.04) women after exercise; but the analysis of covariance test did not show any significant differences (p=0.80) between two groups. Moreover, plasma insulin (p=0.009) concentration and insulin resistance (p=0.03) significantly reduced in post-menopausal women, while in peri-menopausal women was associated with a significant increase (p=0.01) in insulin resistance. 

The results of this study showed that aerobic exercise training increases the levels of calprotectin in overweight post-menopausal and peri-menopausal women, and this increase appears to be independent of changes in insulin and insulin resistance in these women.