Inflammatory mediation of aerobic, resistance, and combined exercise effects on the vascular elasticity of obese women

This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of 8-week aerobic (AE), resistance (RE), and combined exercise (CE) interventions on a vascular elasticity of 47 obese women. Results showed that CE was particularly effective, reducing body fat while increasing muscle mass. Significant improvements in flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were observed in both the AE and CE groups, with the CE group also exhibiting a reduction in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (RbaPWV). Regarding inflammatory responses, IL-8 levels decreased, and IL-10 levels increased in the AE and CE groups. Changes in FMD were correlated with these cytokine changes. Mediation analysis revealed that IL-8 accounted for 57.14% of the FMD improvement in the AE group. In conclusion, combined exercise effectively improves body composition and vascular elasticity in obese women. The enhancement in vascular function is significantly associated with inflammatory modulation, with IL-8 identified as a key mediator.