Zahra Hemati Farsani, Azra Mohammadpanah Ardakan, Zahra Heydari, Zahra Raisi Filabadi,
Volume 25, Issue 4 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: Inflammatory protein C3 and IL-1β are significantly involved in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, examining the importance of aerobic exercise timing (light vs. dark phase) can provide a better understanding of how exercise timing affects inflammatory markers associated with neurological diseases in older adult women with T2D. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise timing on C3 and IL-1β levels in older adults’ women with T2D.
Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 45 women with T2D with an average age of 60 ± 5.07 years were divided into training groups (light and dark phase) and control (15 people in each group). Aerobic exercise was performed for 12 weeks at a moderate intensity (60-70% of heart rate reserve). Protein levels (C3 and IL-1β) were measured before and after the intervention using the ELISA method. Data were analyzed using SPSS27 software and ANOVA with a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Complement C3 was significantly lower in the dark phase exercise group compared to the control group (P= 0.0083). Additionally, the results showed that dark phase aerobic exercise significantly decreased C3 (P= 0.0028) and IL-1β (P= 0.0045) levels compared to baseline.
Conclusion: Aerobic exercise performed during the dark phase effectively reduced inflammatory protein levels of C3 and IL-1β in older adult women with T2D, suggesting it could be considered as a crucial strategy in managing this disease.
