Effects of four-week aerobic training, caloric restriction and vitamin D supplementation on serum BDNF levels and body composition in overweight and obese women

Obesity is a low-grade systemic inflammatory condition that is closely associated with many chronic diseases. Therefore, the purpose of present study was to determine the effect of four-week aquatic aerobic training with and without caloric restriction and vitamin D supplementation on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum concentrations and body composition in overweight and obese women. 40 overweight volunteer women (30-50 years old and BMI 35-30 kg.m2) were randomly divided into four homogeneous groups; (aerobic training: AT, aerobic training with Calorie restriction: AT+CR, aerobic training with supplementation: AT+VD, aerobic training with caloric restriction and supplementation; AT+CR+VD). Training intensity was %55-85 of reserve heart rate and all subjects participated in training for one month and three days a week. Body composition and blood samples were collected before and after the training period to determine the serum levels of BDNF. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's post-hoc test at α<0.05. According to data, body composition indexs decreased significantly in all groups (P<0.05). Also, the level of BDNF in all groups was significantly higher than pre-test, while this increase was statistically significant only in the-AT+RC+VD- group (P=0.012). Combination of aerobic exercise with caloric restriction and vitamin D supplementation has seemingly more cumulative effects compared to each of variables alone and it might be more effective therapeutic method to improve BDNF levels and body composition.