Twelve weeks of resistance training intervention on serum levels of some apoptosis markers in elderly men

Background & Aim: Evidence suggests that apoptosis plays an important role in the aging process. Today, regular physical activity is recognized as a defense strategy in delaying aging and related diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks of resistance training on serum levels of p53, caspase-3, and caspase-9 in sedentary elderly men. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 30 elderly men (Age: 66/2±3/2) were selected voluntarily and purposefully as a statistical sample and randomly divided into experimental groups (n=15) and control (n=15). Participants in the experimental group performed resistance training for 12 weeks and three sessions per week. At the beginning and end of the study, venous blood samples were collected to measure biochemical values. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 24 and with dependent and independent t-test at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: After 12 weeks of resistance training, a significant decrease was observed in serum levels of p53 (p=0.03), caspase-3 (p=0.016) and caspase-9 (p=0.025). Also, a significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in serum levels of p53 (p=0.04), caspase-3 (p=0.02) and caspase-9 (p=0.03). Conclusion: It seems that regular resistance training can play an important role in attenuation of the apoptosis and slowing down the aging process.