The Effects of Aerobic Training and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplement on sICAM-1 in Old Males

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of aerobic training and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on plasma sICAM-1 in elderly men. In this study, 36 male non-athletes (aged between 50 and 70) were selected through available method and randomly divided into 4 groups (9 subjects per group): aerobic training+omega-3 supplement, aerobic training+placebo, omega-3 supplement and placebo. The training program included 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 30-45 minutes per session with 55-70% HRmax. Daily dosage of omega-3 fatty acid supplement was 2000 mg. Blood samples were collected after 14 hours of fasting before the study and 48 hours after the last training session. Data were analyzed with Kolmogorov Smirnov test, t test and one-way ANOVA at α ≤0.05. After 8 weeks of training, sICAM-1 insignificantly reduced in training+ omega-3 and omega-3 groups (p≥0.05). Also, there was no significant difference among the groups after 8 weeks of training (p≥0.05). It can be concluded that 8 weeks of aerobic training and omega-3 supplement had no significant effect on sICAM-1. It seems that significant changes in this new cardiovascular risk factor may depend on the duration and intensity of exercise and the amount of omega-3 supplementation that needs further research.