Objective
This study aimed to examine exercise modality during weight loss on change in inflammation among older adults with overweight or obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Methods
A total of 222 older adults with a mean (SD) age of 66.9 (4.7) years and a mean (SD) BMI of 33.5 (3.5) kg/m2 were randomized to weight loss (WL; n = 68), WL plus aerobic training (WL + AT; n = 79), or WL plus resistance training (WL + RT; n = 75) for 18 months. C‐reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin‐6 were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months.
Results
All groups lost significant weight from baseline to 18 months, with average adjusted changes of −5.5% for WL, −9.0% for WL + AT, and −10.1% for WL + RT. WL + RT and WL + AT lost significantly more weight than WL (P < 0.05). At 18 months, CRP values in WL + RT were significantly lower than WL (2.25 pg/mL vs. 3.38 pg/mL; P = 0.004). The only difference in interleukin‐6 was that at 18 months, WL + RT was lower than WL + AT (2.32 pg/mL vs. 2.75 pg/mL; P = 0.03).
Conclusions
The addition of RT during WL was more effective at reducing levels of CRP than WL. Although results were in the expected direction, there was no difference in CRP between WL and WL + AT.