The effect of strength training on anti-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol and testosterone in overweight men

Exercise training-induced increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines is one of methods proposed to reducing chronic inflammation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of 10 weeks strength training on plasma anti-inflammatory cytokines and their relationships with testosterone and cortisol hormone and body composition in youngs men. Nineteen sedentary men (age, 20-30 yr), volunteers to participant in the study, that randomly divided to two groups of strength training (n=10) and control (n=9) group. Blood sample were collected before and after 10 weeks from intervention, and the concentrations of plasma IL-4, IL-10 and testosterone were measured. Ten weeks strength training programme consists of 7 exercise in two sets with 8 repetitions at 70% of 1- RM in each exercise, and this is then as progressive changed to three sets with 8 repetitions at 80% of 1-RM in weeks 10. Dependent and independent t test, indicated that strength training increased upper and lower body strength, fat free mass, testosterone hormone and decreased cortisol hormone and body fat percent (P<0.05), but concentrations of plasma IL-4 and IL-10 not changed (P？0.05). In addition, Pearson’s correlation indicated that no relationships were between changes in anti-inflammatory cytokines concentrations and changes in testosterone cortisol hormone and body composition (P？0.05). These results indicated that despite significant improvement of strength and body composition, 10 weeks strength training did not effect on anti-inflammatory cytokines in young men.