Abstract
Middle-aged women have an increased risk of chronic degenerative diseases and reduced physical strength, which can lead to decreased vascular function and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, these problems can be treated or prevented with healthy nutrition and regular exercise. We focused on these benefits as recent studies have reported the potential synergistic effects of suspension training and nutrition. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of 12 weeks of adlay intake and suspension training on improvements in body composition, physical fitness, blood lipids, and arterial stiffness in middle-aged women. Neither the adlay + suspension exercise (ASEG) nor suspension exercise groups (SEG) showed significant changes in body composition. Nonetheless, with respect to physical fitness, there was a difference in time among all variables except flexibility, though the ASEG showed a more significant effect than the SEG. Regarding blood lipids, significant interaction effects were found for triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while only the ASEG significantly improved these parameters. Furthermore, pulse wave velocity was only significantly decreased in the ASEG. In summary, performing suspension exercises for 12 weeks improved physical strength in middle-aged women. Additionally, when adlay was consumed simultaneously, blood lipids and arterial stiffness were improved.