Anti-inflammatory effects of active commuting and leisure time exercise in overweight and obese women and men: A randomized controlled trial.

Physical inactivity is linked to low-grade inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine effects of active commuting and leisure time exercise on markers of low-grade inflammation and endothelial function in overweight and obese women and men. We randomized 130 younger (20-45 years), physically inactive, healthy, overweight and obese (BMI: 25-35 kg/m We observed lower concentrations of CRP in MOD compared with CON at 6 months (p = 0.013) and within-group decreases in CRP in BIKE (3 months: p = 0.045) and MOD (3 months: p = 0.061; 6 months: p = 0.038) corresponding to a 30% decrease in BIKE and 19% in MOD from baseline till 6 months. No effects of exercise were observed on fibrinogen, vWF, t-PA, PAI-1 or the t-PA/PAI-1 ratio within or between groups. Our findings suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of active commuting and moderate, but not vigorous, intensity leisure time exercise, but no alterations in endothelial function during 6 months of intervention.