Effects of Aerobic Training on Body Composition and Serum Homocysteine in Elderly Women

Introduction & The elevated plasma homocysteine (HCY) has emerged as a novel cardiovascular biomarker. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a 12 week aerobic training on body composition and levels of serum homocysteine in women aged 60-75.. The present clinical trial study was conducted at Imam Khomeyni Cultural Center of Isfahan, Iran, in 2010. After medical examination, 30 elderly women with similar age and weight were randomly divided into two groups: control and experimental. Weight, BMI, WHR and body fat percentage were measured using the body composition analyzer. Fasting blood samples were taken. Moreover, homocysteine levels were measured by ELISA. Afterwards, the experimental group executed an aerobic training on treadmill (walking) three times a week for three months. After three months, all variables in both groups were measured once more.The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. The results showed that a significant decrease in weight, fat percentage, body mass index, waist hip ratio parameters and homocysteine levels in the experimental group was observed, before and after the 12 week exercise period (p≤0.05). According to the results of the present study, regular and controlled aerobic endurance exercise programs of 12 weeks, with moderate-intensity of increased skeletal muscle capacity use of lipids, may play an important role in weight control in obese individuals and decrease their cardiovascular disease risk factors.