Effect of high intensity interval Nordic walking and strength training on selected biomarkers of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity: a quasi-experimental studies.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the effects of a 12-week high intensity interval Nordic walking (HII-NW) and strength training (ST) intervention compared to standard lifestyle (CG) on selected obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) biomarkers in postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity.

METHODS

This study adopted a quasi-randomized controlled design, in which the experimental groups received HII-NW and ST interventions. The HII-NW intervention used a fast slow alternating walking pattern, maintaining the heart rate at 75%-85% of the maximum heart rate during fast walking and recovering to 60%-70% during slow walking, with each training session lasting 60 minutes and conducted 3 times a week. For ST, equipment such as dumbbells was used to perform resistance training on large muscle groups, with 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each exercise, 3 times a week, 45-60 minutes/session. The control group only received some daily life education training without any structured exercise intervention. The primary outcome measures included the changes in selected obesity and MetS biomarkers before and after the intervention in each group, as well as the differences in these measures between the intervention and control groups. Key metrics assessed were waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and fasting blood glucose (FBG).

RESULTS

Compared to baseline, both the 12-week HII-NW and ST training significantly reduced WC, with the HII-NW group showing a reduction of 2.64 cm (p = 0.014) and the ST group showing a reduction of 2.83 cm (p = 0.011). Both training groups significantly increased HDL-C levels, with HII-NW showing an increase of 5.30 mg/dL (p = 0.007) and ST showing an increase of 3.34 mg/dL, (p = 0.016). HII-NW and ST training significantly lowered FBG levels, with reductions of 2.71 mg/dL (p = 0.019) and 2.22 mg/dL (p = 0.045), respectively. The HII-NW group also demonstrated a significant reduction in TG levels by 13.95 mg/dL (p = 0.027), along with notable improvements in abdominal obesity degree (AOD), percent body fat (PBF), body mass index (BMI), and heart rate HR. Compared to the control group, both HII-NW and ST significantly reduced FBG levels.

CONCLUSION

This 12-week quasi-randomized controlled trial demonstrated that compared with baseline, both HII-NW and ST showed potential effects in improving obesity parameters (WC, PBF, BMI) and MetS markers (HDL-C, FBG) in postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity. Specifically, HII-NW significantly reduced TG levels and resting heart rate, while ST showed greater efficacy in reducing BMI. Compared with the control group, both interventions significantly decreased FBG levels. These findings highlight the potential of HII-NW and ST as targeted exercise strategies for metabolic health in this population, although long-term effects require further validation.