# Moderate‐Intensity Intermittent Walking Improves Liver‐Related Biomarkers and Reduces Inflammation in Postmenopausal Women With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Study

## TL;DR

Moderate-intensity intermittent walking improves liver health and reduces inflammation in postmenopausal women with obesity.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates that MIWT is a feasible and effective non-pharmacological intervention for improving liver and metabolic health in postmenopausal women with obesity.

## Key findings

- MIWT significantly reduced liver enzymes ALT, AST, and GGT, indicating improved hepatic function.
- Systemic inflammation decreased, as shown by reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
- MIWT led to reduced body mass, BMI, body fat, and waist circumference, along with improved aerobic capacity.

## Abstract

Postmenopausal obesity is an important public health concern, accompanied by increased systemic inflammation that heightens the risk of liver disease. Exercise improved both inflammatory and hepatic function. Moderate‐intensity intermittent‐walking training (MIWT) is considered a feasible approach for postmenopausal women with obesity. This study aimed to investigate whether MIWT could reduce the risk by modulating hepatic enzymes and selected inflammatory markers. Thirty‐six sedentary postmenopausal women with obesity (mean age 55.7 ± 3.5 years; mean weight: 86.9 ± 12.2 kg; mean BMI: 34.0 ± 5.0 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to a training group (TG, n = 18) or a control group (CG, n = 18). The TG completed a 10‐week MIWT protocol (4 sessions/week, ∼85 min/session), involving repeated walking intervals at 60%–80% of the 6MWT distance with active recovery. As a secondary objective, changes in body composition and aerobic capacity were also assessed. Significant improvements were observed in the TG group in liver enzymes alanine‐transaminase (ALT), (p = 0.002, d = 0.29), aspartate‐transaminase (AST) (p = 0.013, d = 0.29), gamma‐glutamyl‐transferase (GGT) (p = 0.036, d = 0.25), total bilirubin (p = 0.009, d = 0.13), and C‐reactive‐protein (CRP) (p = 0.007, d = 0.49). Additionally, significant reductions were found in body mass (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001), body fat (p = 0.001), and waist circumference (p < 0.001), along with increased aerobic capacity (p = 0.031). These findings indicate that MIWT is a feasible and effective intervention for inducing favorable changes in liver‐related biochemical markers and systemic inflammation, with additional benefits for body composition and aerobic fitness in postmenopausal women with obesity.

Moderate‐intensity intermittent walking (MIWT) significantly improved liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT) and increased total bilirubin, indicating enhanced hepatic function in postmenopausal women with obesity.Systemic inflammation was reduced, as evidenced by significant decreases in C‐reactive protein (CRP) following the 10‐week MIWT program.MIWT also improved body composition by reducing body mass, BMI, body fat, and waist circumference, while enhancing aerobic capacity.MIWT represents a feasible, low‐cost, non‐pharmacological intervention that can be integrated into community‐ or primary care–based programs to improve metabolic health in postmenopausal women with obesity.

Moderate‐intensity intermittent walking (MIWT) significantly improved liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT) and increased total bilirubin, indicating enhanced hepatic function in postmenopausal women with obesity.

Systemic inflammation was reduced, as evidenced by significant decreases in C‐reactive protein (CRP) following the 10‐week MIWT program.

MIWT also improved body composition by reducing body mass, BMI, body fat, and waist circumference, while enhancing aerobic capacity.

MIWT represents a feasible, low‐cost, non‐pharmacological intervention that can be integrated into community‐ or primary care–based programs to improve metabolic health in postmenopausal women with obesity.