HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES: Over weightiness and obesity are usually defined as inflammatory conditions. High ratio of body mass index and visfatin level recently discovered as markers involved in inflammatory process of obesity. Aerobic exercise is one of the safe interventions to decrease such condition. The purpose of this research was to compare the effect of interval versus continuous aerobic exercise on visfatin and BMI of sedentary overweight female college students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six healthy sedentary overweight female college students with BMI over 25 or more were randomly assigned into three groups including continuous, interval aerobic exercise and control conditions for eight weeks, three sessions per week. Serum visfatin level was assessed before and after the exercise protocol. The exercise protocol included running a distance of 1,200 meters continuously or with rest intervals at 60 to 75 percent of reserved heart rate in the first week that gradually increased by 400 meters on every subsequent week. RESULTS: Our study indicated that both aerobic exercise conditions significantly decrease the serum level of visfatin (p = 0.000, p = 0.025, respectively). Both exercise groups also showed a decrease in BMI compared to the control group (p = 0.006, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise has a beneficiary effect on both serum visfatin level and BMI variables involved in inflammation process of obesity regardless of being performed with rest interval or continuously.

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