Effects of Progressive Resistance Training on Cognition and IGF-1 Levels in Elder Women Who Live in Areas with High Air Pollution

• Main Authors: Edgardo Molina-Sotomayor, Humberto Castillo-Quezada, Cristian Martínez-Salazar, Marcelo González-Orb, Alexis Espinoza-Salinas, Jose Antonio Gonzalez-Jurado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: exercise; physical activity; cognitive impairment; sedentarism; strength muscular environmental health
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6203

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a muscular strength programme on the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and cognitive status in elder women with mild cognitive impairment who lived in areas of high air pollution. A total of 157 women participated in the study, distributed in four groups: Active/Clean (AC <i>n </i>= 38) and Active/Pollution (AP <i>n </i>= 37), who carried out a progressive resistance training programme for 24 months, and Sedentary/Clean (SC <i>n </i>= 40) and Sedentary/Pollution (SP <i>n </i>= 42). Maximum strength in the upper and lower limbs (1RM), cognition (Mini-Mental Scale Examination (MMSE)) and blood IGF-1 were evaluated. At the beginning of the intervention, there were no differences between the groups in the assessed variables. The active groups which carried out the resistance training programme (AC and AP), registered better results in IGF-1 than the sedentary groups. These differences were statistically significant in AC vs. SC (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and AP vs. SC (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding MMSE, group AC registered the highest score increases (+8.2%) (significantly better than the other groups), while group SP worsened (−7%) significantly compared to the other three groups. In conclusion, resistance training had a positive effect on IGF-1, while sedentary behaviour and air pollution had a negative effect on cognitive status.