Effect of 12 Weeks Taekwondo Training on Physical Fitness, Anti-stress, and Anti-depression index in Menopausal Women

Objectives The purpose of this study is to alleviate health-related issues in postmenopausal middle-aged women through Taekwondo training and to investigate the effects of exercise physiology and biochemistry on stress and depression improvement in postmenopausal women. Methods In this study, postmenopausal women were divided into exercise (n=9) and control (n=9) groups. Taekwondo training was conducted for 12 weeks, three times a week for 60 minutes, with 1-6 weeks at 50%-60% HRR and 7-12 weeks at 60%-70% HRR. Body composition, physical fitness, depression scale, blood lipids, cortisol, serotonin, and growth hormone were measured. Results In body composition, the exercise group showed a significant decrease in waist circumference after 12 weeks of Taekwondo training. In physical fitness, significant differences were observed in grip strength (left), sit-ups, and standing long jump. There were significant differences in stress index according to BEPSI-K stress scale and depression index according to CES-D depression scale. Significant differences were also observed in stress and depression-related hormones, cortisol and serotonin. Conclusions Taekwondo training had positive effects on body composition, physical fitness, and stress and depression-related hormones in postmenopausal women. Therefore, it is thought that Taekwondo training has positive effects on the mental health and depression of postmenopausal women by improving their body composition, physical fitness, and influencing cortisol, serotonin, stress index, and depression index.