Effect of a 1-year elastic band resistance exercise program on cardiovascular risk profile in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 1-year progressive resistance training program using elastic bands on cardiovascular profile parameters in sedentary postmenopausal (>12 months' amenorrhea) women.

METHODS

This longitudinal prospective experimental study included 38 menopausal women who were randomly divided into two groups: an intervention group (IG, n = 18), who completed a progressive resistance training program with elastic bands over the course of 12 months (six exercises for whole body training, three sets × 10 repetitions), and a control group (CG, n = 20) that did not perform any training. Blood analysis and body composition were determined at baseline and 1 year after intervention.

RESULTS

After the 1-year training program, weight, waist circumference, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and C-reactive protein showed a decrease compared with baseline values in the IG, showing a significant (P < 0.05) improvement in cardiovascular profile. Very-low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides showed a nonsignificant (P > 0.05) improvement. The CG increased significantly in weight and waist circumference, whereas the rest of the variables remained unchanged.

CONCLUSION

One year of progressive resistance training with elastic bands has beneficial effects on anti-inflammatory and anthropometric cardiovascular risk factors in menopausal women, including changes in lipid profile.