Resistance Exercise Training-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy Was Associated with Reduction of Inflammatory Markers in Elderly Women

Abstract EN

Aging is associated with low-grade inflammation.

The benefits of regular exercise for the elderly are well established, whereas less is known about the impact of low-intensity resistance exercise on low-grade inflammation in the elderly.

Twenty-one elderly women (mean age ± SD, 85.0 ± 4.5 years) participated in 12 weeks of resistance exercise training.

Muscle thickness and circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), heat shock protein (HSP)70, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured before and after the exercise training.

Training reduced the circulating levels of CRP, SAA (P<.05), HSP70, IGF-I, and insulin (P<.01).

The training-induced reductions in CRP and TNF-α were significantly (P<.01, P<.05) associated with increased muscle thickness (r=−0.61, r=−0.54), respectively.

None of the results were significant after applying a Bonferroni correction.

Resistance training may assist in maintaining or improving muscle volume and reducing low-grade inflammation.