The Effect of Six Weeks of Aerobic Training (in the Morning and Afternoon) on Some Cardiovascular Indices and Quality of Life in Drug Addicted Women

Background: Addiction not only causes social and behavioral disorders but also affects various aspects of physical health, causing huge financial damages to individuals, families, and societies. Addicts have lower health and physical activity than the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of six weeks of aerobic training (in the morning and afternoon) on some cardiovascular indices and quality of life in drug addicted women. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, we selected 30 addicted women in Bojnourd city in 2016 by convenience and purposeful sampling method and divided them into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The training protocol comprised six weeks of aerobic training (three sessions per week in the morning and afternoon) with each session lasting 45-60 minutes with an intensity of 50-70% of maximal heart rate reserve. All participants were briefed on all study procedures and potential risks; they signed a written consent form after having read and understood the details of the experiments. We used paired sample t-test and ANCOVA to compare within and between-group variance changes; P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Weight (66.93±3.23 vs 65.89±3.13), body mass index (24.23±1.95 vs 23.86±1.97), body fat percentage (18.84±2.00 vs 17.96±2.03), fibrinogen (345.80±36.46 vs 338.06±38.74), and serum C-reactive protein (167.40±7.66 vs 159.80±13.96) decreased significantly at the end of the six-week aerobic training period (P<0.05). There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups regarding the mean changes of weight (P=0.001), body mass index (P=0.001), body fat percentage (P=0.005), maximal oxygen consumption (P=0.01), physical restraint (P=0.001), general health (P=0.001), vital force (P=0.004), social activity (P=0.001), physical performance (P=0.001), emotional performance (P=0.001), and life satisfaction (P=0.001). Conclusion: Six weeks of aerobic training in the morning and afternoon is likely to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in female drug addicts.