Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Sport Science for Health and Performance, College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Halabja, Halabja (46018), Kurdistan region, Iraq
Abstract
Objective: Obesity in adolescent girls is commonly accompanied by low-grade inflammation and impaired glucose regulation. This study investigated whether eight weeks of water-based exercise with blood flow restriction (WBFR) improves high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and insulin resistance more than water exercise without restriction (WEX) and a non-training control (CON). Methods: Thirty obese young girls were randomly assigned to WBFR (n=10), WEX (n=10), or CON (n=10). Training lasted 8 weeks (3 sessions/week, ~60 min/session). Venous blood was obtained 24 h before and 24 h after the intervention. Outcomes were hs-CRP, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, plus weight, BMI, and waist circumference. Mixed group×time ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests was applied (P<0.05). Results: Group×time interactions were significant for hs-CRP (p=0.001), HOMA-IR (p=0.001), fasting glucose (p=0.003), fasting insulin (p=0.044), weight (p=0.008), BMI (p=0.012), and waist circumference (p=0.001). WBFR decreased hs-CRP (p=0.001), fasting glucose (p=0.002), fasting insulin (p=0.012), and HOMA-IR (p=0.001), and reduced weight (p=0.001), BMI (p=0.001), and waist circumference (p=0.001). WEX showed smaller reductions in hs-CRP (p=0.018), fasting glucose (p=0.041), and HOMA-IR (p=0.048), and reduced weight (p=0.034), BMI (p=0.039), and waist circumference (p=0.021), while fasting insulin did not change (p=0.290). CON showed no significant changes (hs-CRP p=0.620; glucose p=0.710; insulin p=0.830; HOMA-IR p=0.660). Conclusion: Eight weeks of WBFR produced superior improvements in systemic inflammation and fasting insulin resistance compared with non-restricted aquatic exercise and control, indicating WBFR as a practical low-impact approach for reducing cardiometabolic risk in obese young girls. These findings warrant larger trials.
Main Subjects
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