Effects of elastic band resistance exercises with breathing techniques on pulmonary function in female seniors

Elastic band resistance combined with modified Thai yoga exercise to alleviate oxidative stress and airway inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the combination of elastic band resistance exercise (EBRE) with modified Thai yoga on the alleviation of blood glucose and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Forty-two patients with T2DM were enrolled and allocated to an exercise or control group (n=21/group). The exercise group participated in EBRE combination with modified Thai yoga for 40 min, 5 days/wk, for 12 consecutive weeks. Blood glucose, oxidative stress markers, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and airway inflammation were measured before and after the 12 weeks. The results showed that the exercise group had a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Moreover, T2DM patients in the exercise group showed a significant reduction in plasma malondialdehyde, while superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased. The exercise group also observed a significant improvement in pulmonary function; forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV₁/FVC, peak expiratory flow, and forced midexpiratory flow as well as respiratory muscle strength. Interestingly, the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga markedly improved airway inflammation through the reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga improves blood glucose, oxidative stress, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and airway inflammation in T2DM patients. Hence, it could be considered as a possible exercise program for T2DM patients.

Comparison of Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training and Aerobic Training on Respiratory Volumes in Female Students

Background

Sedentary lifestyle can cause the deterioration of respiratory indices. The interventions, such as physical activity programs, might prevent such deterioration. This study aimed to compare the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and aerobic training on the respiratory volumes in female students.

Materials and Methods

In this semi-experimental study, 30 healthy inactive volunteer female students (age: 26.3±4.30 years; height: 1.63±8.36 m; body mass index: 20-28 kg/m²) were divided randomly into two HIIT and aerobic training groups. The aerobic training consisted of three sessions of 50-60 minutes of exercise with an intensity of 70-85% of the maximum heart rate per week for 4 weeks. Additionally, the HIIT program included six repetitions of 4 minutes with an intensity of 90-95% of maximum heart rate for 4 weeks on a treadmill. Spirometry tests were performed to determine lung function before and after the training protocols. The data were analyzed by the independent and dependent t-tests at p < 0.05.

Results

The results showed that aerobic training significantly improved the forced expiratory volume in one second (P=0.045), forced expiratory flow (FEF) within 25-75% (P=0.002), and peak expiratory flow (P=0.003); however, HIIT did not have a significant effect on these indicators. There was no significant difference between the two types of training in any of the indicators except for FEF within 25-75%.

Conclusion

According to the study results, aerobic training might be more effective in the improvement of pulmonary parameters than intense training.