Effect of Two Types of Resistance Training with and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Some Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Overweight Men

Introduction: Cytokines are a group of proteins essential for inflammatory responses to pathological stimuli such as inflammation and for improving metabolic health in overweight individuals. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of two types of resistance training with and without blood flow restriction on some pro-inflammatory cytokines in overweight men. Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental interventional study. Fifty males with a mean age of 25.66±1.98 years and a body mass index of 28.1±3.34 kg/m2 were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups: resistance training 1 (n=10), resistance training 2 (n=10), resistance training 1 with blood flow restriction (n=10), resistance training 2 with blood flow restriction (n=10), and control groups (n=10). Resistance training 1 and 2, both with and without flow restriction, were performed for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week. Before and after six weeks of training, blood samples were collected from the participants and serum levels of TNF-a, IL-1 β, and IL-6 were measured using ELISA. Subsequently, between-group changes were evaluated using the covariance test and within-group Bonferroni test. Results: The results showed a significant difference among the 5 research groups regarding TNF-α and IL-6 levels (P=0.000), and the changes in TNF-α levels in resistance training groups 1 (P=0.003), resistance training 2 (P=0.004), resistance training 1 and 2 with blood flow restriction (P=0.000) were significantly reduced compared to the control group. Additionally, the changes in IL-6 levels in resistance training groups 1 and 2 utilizing flow restriction were also significantly reduced compared to the control group (P=0.001), while no significant difference was observed between the research groups in IL-1 β levels. Conclusion: Our study shows that resistance training with and without blood flow restriction can be a useful non-pharmacological tool to reduce some chronic inflammatory factors.