Research

Hormonal

Long-term resistance training reduces basal levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in overweight, obese, and older populations, thereby mitigating low-grade systemic inflammation associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk.

If you are overweight, older, or at risk for diabetes, commit to long-term resistance training (at least several months). You do not need to worry about the immediate inflammatory spike after a workout; the long-term benefit is a measurable reduction in systemic inflammation (CRP) and improved insulin sensitivity, which protects against cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Long term RT can decrease basal cytokine levels... long term RT can affect its basal levels... the majority of the randomized controlled trials support decreases in CRP with RT... women, obese individuals and older adults seem to be more responsive regarding CRP improvements with RT.
Mariana C. Calle et al. · Nutrition Research and Practice · 2010

Why this rating

The paper is a review of multiple studies with varying protocols and populations; while it cites RCTs supporting CRP reduction, it notes limitations like gender bias and short durations in some studies.

Source

Effects of resistance training on the inflammatory response

Mariana C. Calle et al. · Nutrition Research and Practice · 2010

DOI 10.4162/nrp.2010.4.4.259

narrative_reviewCited 231×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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