Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a 10-week Nordic walking training program on resting growth hormone (GH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) blood concentrations and their relationships to the values of inflammatory, metabolic, and muscle injury parameters in postmenopausal women with overweight and obesity.
Methods: Thirty-two postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity (body mass index 30.5 ± 4.1 kg/m(2)), aged 59.6 ± 5.9 years were included in the investigation. Concentrations of GH, LH, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, low density (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and albumin, as well as the plasma activity of muscle enzymes such as creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, were examined before and after the participants finished a 10-week Nordic walking rehabilitation program.
Results: After a 10-week rehabilitation period in accordance with a Nordic walking program, significant increases in blood concentrations of GH (median 47.5%) and HDL cholesterol (on average by 0.1%) as well as a decrease in LH values (on average by 19%), total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (all on a similar average by between 0.1 and 0.2%), creatine kinase (on average by 14%), lactate dehydrogenase (on average by 4%), C-reactive protein (on average by 24%), and body mass index (on average by 5.7%) were found.
Conclusions: Nordic walking for postmenopausal women with overweight and obesity led to favorable hormonal responses, as well as improvement in muscle integrity and nutritional and inflammatory states, suggesting chronic, regular exercise as an effective tool in protecting against menopause-related catabolic processes.
Keywords: EXERCISE; GROWTH HORMONE; HORMONAL RESPONSE; INFLAMMATION; LUTEINIZING HORMONE; NORDIC WALKING.