BACKGROUND: Overweight individuals commonly demonstrate elevated levels of inflammatory and cell adhesion molecules. Elevated levels of inflammation and adhesion have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Aerobic exercise has been shown to be effective in altering specific biomarkers of inflammation and cell adhesion; however, little is known regarding the effects of resistance training (RT) on these biomarkers. This study examined the effects of 1 year of moderate-intensity RT on biomarkers of inflammation and adhesion in healthy, overweight women. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants included 28 (12 control, 16 RT) overweight (body mass index >= 25 kg/m2) women, aged 25 to 44 years, studied before and after 1 year of RT. c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin were measured by standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Body composition, blood pressure, fasting blood lipids, glucose and insulin also were assessed. There were no significant changes in blood pressure, fasting blood lipids, glucose or insulin levels in either group after 1 year. There was also no change in body mass or fat mass in either group; however, there was a significant increase in lean body mass (p < 0.05) in the RT group. Both CRP (p < 0.01) and adiponectin (p < 0.01) demonstrated significant improvements in the RT group, with no change in IL-6. Conversely, there were no associated changes in the biomarkers of cell adhesion in either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that moderate-intensity RT significantly results in modest improvements of inflammatory markers without affecting cell adhesion molecules in overweight women.

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