ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2017 September;57(9):1178-85

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06528-2

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Influence of 12-week Nordic Walking training on biomarkers of endothelial function in healthy postmenopausal women

Barbara POSPIESZNA ^{1, 2} ✉, Joanna KAROLKIEWICZ ¹, Jacek TARNAS ³, Jacek LEWANDOWSKI ⁴, Maria LAURENTOWSKA ¹, Łucja PILACZYŃSKA-SZCZEŚNIAK ¹

¹ Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Hygiene, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland; ² Department of Tourism and Recreation, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland; ³ Department of Physical Education, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland; ⁴ Department of Motor Rehabilitation, Poznań University of Physical Education Poland, Poznań, Poland

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week Nordic Walking (NW) intervention on nitric oxide synthase activity (eNOS), levels of antibodies against oxidatively modified low-density lipoproteins (oLAb), plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentration, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis risk factors (AIP) in postmenopausal women.
METHODS: A sample of 39 women, divided into two comparable groups: training (N.=20) and control (N.=19), took part in the study. Participants in the training group performed a 12-week supervised NW training: 60-minute sessions of exercise, repeated three times per week. The biochemical and anthropometric data were obtained before and after the intervention. During the first and the last training sessions, the individual walking distance in trained group was measured.
RESULTS: After the intervention, significant differences in covered distance, body mass, BMI, fat mass, insulin level (P<0.01), systolic blood pressure and TBARS concentration (P<0.05) were found in trained women.
CONCLUSIONS: Applied training was able to improve functional capacity and body composition in healthy postmenopausal women. It appears to be no direct link between a significant decrease in the level of systolic blood pressure, the level of eNOS activity, TAC, oLAb and plasma TBARS concentration in trained women. It seems probable that NW training would be more effective for postmenopausal women with more severely impaired endothelial function.

KEY WORDS: Walking - Menopause - Nitric oxide synthase - Blood pressure