Effects of aerobic training and omega-3 supplementation on the levels of CRP, MDA and lipid profile in overweight and obese women

Introduction: Exercise training and omega 3 supplements play an important role in modulating the levels of oxidative and inflammatory mediators. The present study conducted aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic training and omega-3 supplementation on the levels of oxidative (MDA) and inflammatory (CRP) mediators and lipid profile in overweight and obese women. Materials and Methods: The 40 overweight and obese women (BMI = 29.1 ± 6.9 kg/m2) randomly assigned to four groups (10 subjects in each group) including placebo (C), omega-3 (S), training (T) and training + omega 3 (ST) groups. Aerobic training program was performed with 50-70 percent of maximum heart rate for eight weeks/three sessions per week. Daily 2000 mg omega 3 supplement were also consumed by S and ST groups. The MDA, CRP and lipid profile levels were measured and data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 24). Results: Significant decrease in CRP levels in S (P = 0.014), T (P = 0.030) and ST (P < 0.001) groups compared to C group, and significant decrease in MDA levels in T and ST groups compared to C and S groups were observed (P < 0.05). In addition, lipid profile indicated a significant improvement in T and ST groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Despite the aerobic training and training + omega-3 supplement effects in decreasing levels of CRP, MDA and lipid profile improvement, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. It seems that, eight weeks omega-3 ingestion along with aerobic training don’t exert a synergistic effect.