Response of Inflammatory Biomarkers to 10 Weeks of Aerobic Resistance Training in Inactive Postmenopausal Women with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver

Abstract

Background: Research evidence shows that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely related to inflammation. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the response of inflammatory biomarkers to 10 weeks of aerobic resistance exercise in inactive postmenopausal women with NAFLD. Methods: In this purposeful quasi-experimental study, conducted in Mahshahr, Iran, in 2019, 24 inactive women aged 50 - 68 years who were diagnosed with fatty liver disease by ultrasound were randomly divided into training or control groups. The training group performed aerobic resistance training for 10 weeks using treadmills and bodybuilding machines. At the beginning and end of the study, serum interleukin 18 (IL18), interleukin 10 (IL10), and other blood parameters were measured, and the subjects underwent liver ultrasound and anthropometric evaluations. Results: The results of intergroup ANCOVA, intragroup paired t-test, and Wilcoxon showed that in response to 10 weeks of training, IL18 levels, anthropometric parameters, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), liver enzymes, fasting glucose, triglyceride (TG), and liver fat were significantly decreased and plasma IL10 was significantly increased when compared to baseline results (P < 0.05). Also, the results of the Spearman correlation test showed a significant positive relationship between IL18 and waist circumference (WC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and HOMA-IR and a significant negative relationship between IL10 and weight, WC, TG, HOMA-IR, and liver fat (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Ten weeks of aerobic resistance training has a significant effect on reducing serum IL18 and increasing IL10 levels in postmenopausal women with fatty liver and can be effective in improving NAFLD by losing weight, improving body composition, and reducing insulin resistance.