The effect of moderate-intensity combined exercise in decreasing inflammation in young obese women

Background and Study Aim. Obesity results from excessive lipid accumulation in adipose tissue, which causes low-grade inflammatory reactions. These reactions are characterized by the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Endurance-resistance combined exercise is believed to inhibit the activation of inflammatory pathways through several mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of endurance-resistance combined exercise on decreasing serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in young obese women. Material and Methods. A pre–post control group design was used with 16 obese women aged 20–30 years in Malang, Indonesia. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (CG, n = 8) or a combined exercise group (EXG, n = 8). The combined exercise consisted of 20 sessions of treadmill exercise at 60–70% HRmax and circuit training at 60–70% 1RM intensity, performed over 4 weeks. Pre- and post-exercise blood samples were analyzed to measure serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels using the colorimetric assay method. Statistical analysis included independent and paired t-tests with a 5% significance threshold. Effect size was evaluated using Cohen’s d, with d > 0.8 defined as large. Results. Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between groups. The combined exercise group demonstrated significant reductions in TNF-α (p = 0.010) and IL-6 (p = 0.018) compared to the control group, with large effect sizes for TNF-α (d = 1.23) and IL-6 (d = 1.00). Conclusions. Moderate-intensity combined exercise significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, compared to the control group. The findings suggest that endurance-resistance combined exercise may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases and can be recommended for obesity treatment.