INTRODUCTION:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a distorted of body image, fear of weight gain and a high rate of chronicity associated with an increased risk of mortality [1]. The overall prevalence of AN is 3.6% in women and 0.3 % in men [2], with peak onset around 15.5 years of age [3]. Recently AN was associated to Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR), and Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) serum increase, suggesting a dysfunctional inflammatory response in this population [4,5]. Although Resistance Training (RT) has been explored as a complementary intervention to improve physical and mental well-being in individuals with AN [6], its effect on inflammatory markers remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of 10-week RT program on NLR, LMR and PLR in serum samples from AN patients receiving day hospital care.
METHODS:
A total of 20 AN patients (22.25±8.6 years; BMI 16.32±6.1 kg/m2) were enrolled and randomly assigned to either exercise (ANE = 10) or control (ANC = 10) groups. Blood samples were drawn at baseline (T0) and after 10-week training (T1) inflammatory markers were measured and NLR, MLR, and PLR ratios were calculated. Physical fitness assessment included body composition analysis using Tanita BC418 MA and circumferences and skinfold thickness measurements were evaluated at T0 and T1. The RT program consisted of a 10-week supervised program (three per week, 50–60 minutes/session), with progressive moderate-to-high intensity training that included exercises for large muscle groups [6]. A non-parametric U Mann-Whitney or a parametric Student’s t-test was performed based on normality tests.
RESULTS:
A significant time x group effect was found for neutrophil count, NLR, thigh circumference (TC), lean body mass (LBM) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (p < 0.05). The ANE group presented significantly lower absolute neutrophil count (p = 0.010) and NLR ratio (p = 0.017) as well as significantly increased TC (p = 0.032), LBM (p = 0.06) and SMM (p = 0.047) after the 10-week exercise intervention.
CONCLUSION:
Results from this study revealed for the first time RT’s contribution to the improvement of inflammatory markers in AN patients under day-hospital care. In addition to the improvements found in CT, LBM and SMM, these results show underlying positive effects of RT in regulating inflammatory function in AN.
References:
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2. Galmiche, M., 2019. 109(5) p.1402-1413.
3. Solmi, M., 2022. 27(1) p. 281–295.
4. Zhang R , 2022.
5. Bou Khalil, R., 2021.
6. Fernandez-del-Valle, M., 2014. 47(6) p.601-609.