Effect of Short-Term Concurrent Exercise on Inflammatory Markers in Sedentary Lean and Obese

The rates of obesity in the U.S. are increasing with epidemic proportions. Obesity causes a widespread chronic inflammation in the body that can lead to diseases such as hypertension, insulin resistance, and the development of cardiovascular disease. There are several cytokines that are associated with chronic inflammation caused by excess adipose tissue. Obesity has long been thought of as a problem of positive energy balance or disordered eating, but more recent evidence suggests that much of obesity is associated with low energy expenditure. The current study investigated plasma of Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α responses to concurrent exercise training. Pre and post blood samples were collected from eight sedentary lean (LN: 5 males, 3 females) and eight sedentary obese (OB: 5 males, 3 females) individuals in order to investigate whether one week of concurrent exercise training was sufficient to lower plasma IL-6, CRP and TNF-α. Prior to beginning the exercise protocol, VO2MAX and 1RM were obtained in order to establish training workloads. The exercise protocol consisted of seven days of cycling on a stationary bike for 45 minutes at 70% of maximum. On days two, four and six subjects also completed three sets (8–12 repetitions per set) of leg press at 80% of maximum. Plasma CRP and TNF-α were greater in OB than LN independent of training status and there was no effect of exercise training on CRP or TNF-α. There was no difference in plasma IL-6 between LN and OB or in response to exercise training. In summary, the present study demonstrates that CRP and TNF-α are elevated in obese individuals and that one week of concurrent exercise training does not alter circulating levels of TNF-α, IL-6, or CRP