Resistance exercise training augments the immunomodulatory adaptations to aerobic high-intensity interval training

Abstract

To compare the effectiveness of different types of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on meta-inflammation during obesity, TLR4 pathway activities were assessed following a 10-week randomized trial. 30 young females with overweight and obesity were randomly allocated to aerobic HIIT (HIIT/AE) or resistance exercise in HIIT (HIIT/RE) and performed a 28-minute (4 x 4 min) in each session. During each interval, the HIIT/AE performed four minutes of all-extremity cycling, whereas the HIIT/RE completed four minutes of combined resistance exercises and all-extremity cycling. The TLR4 pathway gene expression was measured for the TLR4 receptor, downstream adaptors (TIR domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-beta (TRIF) and myeloid differentiation factor (MYD) 88), transcriptional factors (nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B), and interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 3), and its negative regulator (tumor necrosis factor (TNF) a-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3)). The serum levels of TNF alpha, interferon (IFN) gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, and adiponectin were measured. We found that TLR4 (HIIT/RE: 0.6 +/- 0.43 vs. HIIT/AE: 1.24 +/- 0.82, p = 0.02), TRIF (HIIT/RE: 0.51 +/- 0.4 vs. HIIT/AE: 3.56 +/- 0.52, p = 0.001), and IRF3 (HIIT/RE: 0.49 +/- 0.42 vs. HIIT/AE: 0.6 +/- 0.89; p = 0.04) levels were significantly downregulated in HIIT/RE compared to the HIIT/AE, with a significant reduction in serum levels of TNF alpha (pg/ml) (HIIT/RE: 22.5 +/- 11.3 to 6.3 +/- 5.3 vs. HIIT/AE: 19.16 +/- 20.8 to 13.48 +/- 21.7, p = 0.04) and IFN gamma (pg/ml) (HIIT/RE: 43.5 +/- 20.6 to 37.5 +/- 4.3 vs. HIIT/AE: 37.6 +/- 5.6 to 68.1 +/- 22.5, p = 0.03). Adiponectin and IL-10 levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. Thus, resistance exercise training augments the immunomodulatory adaptations to HIIT and should be prescribed to people at risk of cardiometabolic disease.