Purwo Sri Rejeki, Krishna Suryoadi Prabowo, Muhammad Abdullah Ihsan, Faiq Amirul Hakim, Dewi Ratna Sari, Dwi Cahyo Kartiko, Dono Indarto, Novianti Tysmala Dewi, Eva Nabiha Zamri, Adi Pranoto
Background and Study Aim Obesity results from excessive lipid accumulation in adipose tissue, which causes low-grade inflammatory reactions. These reactions are characterized by the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Endurance-resistance combined exercise is believed to inhibit the activation of inflammatory pathways through several mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of endurance-resistance combined exercise on decreasing serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in young obese women. Material and Methods A pre–post control group design was used with 16 obese women aged 20–30 years in Malang, Indonesia. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (CG, n = 8) or a combined exercise group (EXG, n = 8). The combined exercise consisted of 20 sessions of treadmill exercise at 60–70% HRmax and circuit training at 60–70% 1RM intensity, performed over 4 weeks. Pre-and post-exercise blood samples were analyzed to measure serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels using the colorimetric assay method. Statistical analysis included independent and paired t-tests with a 5% significance threshold. Effect size was evaluated using Cohen’s d, with d > 0.8 defined as large. Results Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between groups. The combined exercise group demonstrated significant reductions in TNF-α (p = 0.010) and IL-6 (p = 0.018) compared to the control group, with large effect sizes for TNF-α (d = 1.23) and IL-6 (d = 1.00). Conclusions Moderate-intensity combined exercise significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, compared to the control group. The findings suggest that endurance-resistance combined exercise may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases and can be recommended for obesity treatment. © Purwo Sri Rejeki, Krishna Suryoadi Prabowo, Muhammad Abdullah Ihsan, Faiq Amirul Hakim, Dewi Ratna Sari, Dwi Cahyo Kartiko, Dono Indarto, Novianti Tysmala Dewi, Eva Nabiha Zamri, Adi Pranoto, 2025.
Physiology Division, Department of Medical Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia; Medical Programme, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia; Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia; Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia; Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Community Health, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Department of Sports Coaching Education, Faculty of Sports and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia
