Retro walking treadmill training reduces C—reactive protein levels in overweight and obese young adults: A randomized comparative study

Abstract

Background and Aims Retro walking has been shown to acquire a greater metabolic cost, placing a higher cardiopulmonary demand on the body, when compared with forward walking at a similar speed. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of retro walking with that of forward walking on C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) and to understand the influence of independent factors namely systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and BMI on CRP in untrained overweight and obese young adults. Methods This was a randomised controlled trial whereby 106 participants underwent either retro walking ( n = 53) or forward walking ( n = 53) treadmill training four times a week for 12 weeks before and after which CRP, BMI, and BP levels were measured. Comparison of the measured values before and after intervention and between the groups was done and influence of BMI and BP on CRP levels was determined. Results Both groups recorded a significant decrease ( p < 0.001) in CRP, BMI, and BP levels postintervention. The participants who underwent retro walking training showed a significantly ( p < 0.001) higher decrease in all the outcomes as compared with the forward walking group. C‐reactive protein levels were seen to be influenced by BMI and DBP. Conclusion Retro‐walking training leads to greater decrease in CRP, BMI, and BP when compared with forward walking, and CRP levels are influenced by BMI and DBP. Retro walking treadmill training can be used preferentially to bring about reduction in cardiovascular risk factors.

Physiological Impact Of Aerobic Exercise During Fasting On Inflammatory Risk Factors In Obese Women

“…So, to rebalance the body's homeostasis, it is necessary to increase the endogenous antioxidant enzymatic cascade through Nrf2 regulation (Thiruvengadam et al, 2021). Then Nrf2 will translocate into the nucleus to join and bind the Antioxidant Response Element (ARE) to become nrf2-ARE to activate antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) as a form of self-defense (Soman et al, 2023). Nrf2-ARE stimulates neutrophils through glutathione activation to induce the secretion of IL-8 (controls inflammation and healing) and IL-10 (activates anti-inflammatory and strong immunity in myokine cell function against acute and chronic inflammation) to inhibit macrophages in the secretion of IL-1, IL-6, and CRP resulting in a reduction in inflammatory risk factors (Alizaei Yousefabadi et al, 2021;Jin et al, 2018).…”

“…Aerobic exercise while fasting increases fat oxidation and produces improvements in body composition, fat metabolism, inflammation, and liver function (Banjac et al, 2021). This shows that exercising while fasting can be an effective strategy to help obese sufferers lose weight and improve their quality of health (Soman et al, 2023). Therefore, the aerobic exercise program during fasting is expected to create a balance between energy intake and energy expended through physical activity.…”