Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week home-based bench step exercise program on inflammatory cytokines and lipid profiles in elderly females.
Methods: Sixty-two postmenopausal females (65-85 years of age) were randomized to either the bench step exercise group (n=31) or the control group (n=31). The subjects in the bench step exercise group were instructed to perform bench step exercises at the exercise intensity corresponding to lactate threshold (LT), three times per day 10-20 min each session, for a goal of ≥140 min/week at home for 12 weeks. At baseline and 12 weeks, circulating levels of nine inflammatory cytokines (high-molecular-weight adiponectin, interleukin-4 [IL-4], IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], TNF-β and interferon-γ [IFN-γ]) and serum lipids including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured.
Results: The bench step training at the LT significantly increased HDL-C levels and decreased IFN-γ concentrations in the subjects with lower (< 63 mg/dL) baseline HDL-C levels (p<0.05). The change in IFN-γ inversely correlated with the change in HDL-C in the exercise group (ρ=-0.56, p<0.01), whereas this association was not observed in the control group. Additionally, principal component analysis-derived index of what we called "inflammatory status factor" was inversely associated with the changes in HDL-C in the exercise group.
Conclusion: The bench step exercise-induced reduction in the IFN-γ levels may partially explain the degree of improvement in the HDL-C levels with the exercise program.
Keywords: Aerobic exercise; Aging; HDL-C; Inflammation; Interleukins.
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