Key result
Nordic walking with integrated resistance shock absorber poles significantly decreased body mass and BMI and increased VO2max, but showed no significant differences in cognitive outcomes, depression symptoms, or neurotrophin levels compared to classic Nordic walking in postmenopausal women.
Why the study?
Late adulthood is linked to brain atrophy, cognitive decline, and depression risk, and the effects of Nordic walking with resistance shock absorbers on neurotrophic factors, cognition, and cardiopulmonary efficiency had not been described.
Does Nordic walking with poles with an integrated resistance shock absorber improve cognitive abilities, neurotrophin levels, and cardiopulmonary efficiency in postmenopausal women compared to classic Nordic walking?
RCT (n=31)
Open-label
Simple random allocation
No
Does Nordic walking with poles with an integrated resistance shock absorber improve cognitive abilities, neurotrophin levels, and cardiopulmonary efficiency in postmenopausal women compared to classic Nordic walking?
Absolute Event Rate: 30.45% vs 32.14%
Nordic walking with an integrated resistance shock absorber improves cardiopulmonary efficiency and reduces body mass and BMI in postmenopausal women, though it does not significantly differ from classic Nordic walking in cognitive or neurotrophic outcomes.
May support RSA-augmented Nordic walking for weight management in postmenopausal women; extends evidence on exercise variants for cardiorespiratory and metabolic outcomes.
Late adulthood is associated with atrophy of brain areas, which contribute to cognitive deterioration and increase the risk of depression. On the other hand, aerobic exercise can improve learning and memory function, ameliorate mood, and prevent neurodegenerative changes. This study demonstrates the effect of Nordic walking (NW) and Nordic walking with poles with an integrated resistance shock absorber (NW with RSA) on the BDNF and GDNF serum levels and determines correlations with cognitive functions and depression symptoms as well as aerobic capacity and body composition in postmenopausal women. These relationships with the use of NW with RSA as a new form of exercise have not been described thus far. In this study, 31 women (NW - 16, NW with RSA - 15) participated in eight weeks of training. The findings showed that only NW with RSA training caused a significant decrease in body mass and body mass index (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in GDNF levels between groups studied. Regarding BDNF, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the NW group and an increase (not statistically significant) in the NW with RSA group was found. A comparative analysis of cognitive and depression outcomes and changes in BDNF and GDNF concentration showed no significant differences in the efficacy of either form of training. Training loads resulted in a significant increase in VO2max in both the NW (p < 0.01) and NW with RSA (p < 0.05) groups. This indicates an improvement in cardiopulmonary efficiency of the examined women.
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Domaszewska et al. (2020) conducted an RCT in Postmenopausal women (n=31). Nordic walking with poles with an integrated resistance shock absorber (NW with RSA) vs. Nordic walking (NW) with classic poles was evaluated on Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in mL/kg/min at 9 weeks. Nordic walking with integrated resistance shock absorber poles significantly decreased body mass and BMI and increased VO2max, but showed no significant differences in cognitive outcomes, depression symptoms, or neurotrophin levels compared to classic Nordic walking in postmenopausal women.
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