Protective effects of a 12-week indoor-based aerobic exercise intervention on metabolic, hepatic, and pulmonary functions in older women

This study was conducted to examine whether a 12-week aerobic exercise program provides protective effects on metabolic, hepatic, and respiratory functions in older women aged 70 years and above. The results showed significant group×time interactions in serum lipids, including TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C. In the exercise group, TG and HDL-C improved, whereas the control group exhibited time-related deterioration in TC and LDL-C. In addition, significant interaction effects were observed in liver function markers (ALT, AST, and GGT). The control group showed greater time-dependent increases in these enzymes compared to the exercise group, indicating that aerobic exercise may attenuate or suppress such unfavorable changes. For pulmonary function, both FVC and FEV1 demonstrated significant interaction effects, with improvements observed in the exercise group, while no meaningful changes were found in the control group. Collectively, these findings suggest that a 12-week aerobic exercise program may mitigate or prevent age-related declines in metabolic, hepatic, and respiratory functions, thereby exerting a protective role in the health of older adults.