Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Sedentary Women

March 3, 2026 updated by: Hamza Kucuk, Ondokuz Mayıs University

Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercises on Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Sedentary Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers in sedentary young women. Forty-five healthy sedentary females aged 18 to 25 years were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or control groups. The exercise groups trained three times per week for 8 weeks under supervision, while the control group maintained a sedentary lifestyle. Blood samples and physiological measurements were obtained at baseline and after the intervention. The primary aim was to evaluate changes in circulating natriuretic peptides and inflammatory biomarkers, including NT-proBNP, BNP, soluble ST2, and Galectin-3. Secondary outcomes included lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels, blood pressure, and aerobic fitness. The study examined whether different exercise modalities induce beneficial cardiometabolic adaptations in previously sedentary young women.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Sedentary lifestyle is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Circulating biomarkers such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), soluble ST2 (s-ST2), and Galectin-3 are widely used in clinical practice to evaluate cardiac stress, inflammation, and prognosis in cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about how regular exercise affects these biomarkers in healthy but sedentary young adults.

This randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the effects of two different exercise modalities, aerobic and resistance training, on cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in sedentary females aged 18 to 25 years.

Participants were randomly allocated to one of three parallel groups: aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or non-exercising control. The aerobic group performed supervised treadmill-based walking and jogging at moderate intensity corresponding to 60 to 75 percent of heart rate reserve, for approximately 60 minutes per session, three times per week for 8 weeks. The resistance group completed supervised whole-body resistance training consisting of major upper and lower body exercises, performed as 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions at approximately 70 to 80 percent of one-repetition maximum, also three times per week for 8 weeks. The control group was instructed to maintain their usual sedentary lifestyle without engaging in structured exercise.

Fasting venous blood samples were collected at baseline and after the 8-week intervention to determine serum concentrations of NT-proBNP, BNP, s-ST2, and Galectin-3, as well as lipid profile, glucose, and insulin. Physiological and functional measurements included body composition, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).

The primary outcome was the change in NT-proBNP after 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in BNP, s-ST2, Galectin-3, lipid parameters, glycemic markers, blood pressure, and aerobic fitness.

The study aimed to determine whether exercise-induced changes in natriuretic peptides represent physiological cardiovascular adaptation rather than pathological stress, and whether aerobic and resistance exercise produce distinct biomarker responses. This information may improve interpretation of cardiovascular biomarkers in physically inactive young adults and highlight the role of structured exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy to improve cardiometabolic health.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

45

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Besevler
      • Ankara, Besevler, Turkey (Türkiye), 06100
        • Ankara University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female, aged 18 to 25 years
  • Sedentary lifestyle (no regular structured exercise training)
  • Apparently healthy with no diagnosed cardiovascular, metabolic, or inflammatory disease
  • Willing to participate in an 8-week supervised exercise program and provide blood samples
  • Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or chronic inflammatory disorder
  • Current use of medications affecting cardiovascular or metabolic function
  • Regular participation in structured exercise or competitive sports
  • Smoking or alcohol/drug abuse
  • Any musculoskeletal or medical condition that prevents safe participation in exercise
  • Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Aerobic Exercise
Participants performed supervised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on a treadmill (walking and jogging) at 60-75% of heart rate reserve, 60 minutes per session, three times per week for 8 weeks.
Behavioral: Aerobic Exercise Training
Supervised treadmill-based moderate-intensity walking and jogging at 60-75% of heart rate reserve, 60 minutes per session including warm-up and cool-down, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.
Experimental: Resistance Exercise
Participants performed supervised whole-body resistance training consisting of major upper and lower body exercises, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions at approximately 70-80% of one-repetition maximum, three times per week for 8 weeks.
Behavioral: Resistance Exercise Training
Supervised whole-body resistance training including major muscle group exercises, performed as 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions at approximately 70-80% of one-repetition maximum, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.
No Intervention: Resistance Training
Participants maintained their habitual sedentary lifestyle and did not participate in any structured exercise program for 8 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Serum NT-proBNP Level
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Difference in fasting serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration between baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention.
Baseline and Week 8

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 22, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 23, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TR.ANKAU.REC.E-33665751

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author and after approval by the research team and ethics requirements.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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