The effect of eight-week Pilates exercise on the thyroid function in sedentary women

Introduction: Physical activity and exercise influences energy metabolism in human subjects by increasing activity-induced energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate for several hours after exercise. The effect of Pilates exercise on thyroid function is not well known. Thus the purpose of present study was to examine the effect of eight-week Pilates exercise on triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in sedentary women. Material & Methods: Twenty two sedentary women aged between 25 to 40 years old participated in this study as the subject. The subjects were divided into Pilates group (n=11) or control group (n=11) randomly. The subjects in the Pilates group performed 60 min Pilates exercise, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Body composition parameters, T3, T4 and TSH concentrations were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The results showed body fat percent was reduced after Pilates exercise (P<0.05), however for T3, T4, TSH concentrations no significant changes were observed. Conclusions: In summary, the results suggest Pilates exercise utilized in this study had not significant effect on thyroid function in sedentary women.