Comparison of the Effects of Eight Weeks of Combined Training with Different Aerobic Components on Serum Serotonin Levels and Muscle Strength in Elderly Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Daroudi, Elaheh; Moazzami, Mahtab; Bijeh, Nahid; Shoeibi, Ali

doi:10.22118/jsmj.2026.578938.4160

Comparison of the Effects of Eight Weeks of Combined Training with Different Aerobic Components on Serum Serotonin Levels and Muscle Strength in Elderly Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Elaheh Daroudi ¹

Mahtab Moazzami ¹

Nahid Bijeh ¹

Ali Shoeibi ²

¹ Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad. Iran

² Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical University, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22118/jsmj.2026.578938.4160

Abstract

Background and Aim: Despite the widespread prescription of exercise in Parkinson's disease, the comparative clinical efficacy of different training types on serotonin and muscle strength remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the effects of eight weeks of combined training with different aerobic components on serum serotonin and muscle strength in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease.
Methods: Thirty patients with Parkinson's disease (66.37 ± 5.10 years) were assigned to resistance-interval training, resistance-continuous training, and control groups. Fasting blood samples and muscle strength were measured before and after eight weeks of training (three sessions/week).
Results: Thirty patients completed the training protocol. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant increases in serum serotonin (P=0.003, F=7.45, η²p=0.35) and muscle strength (P<0.001, F=96.20, η²p=0.77) in both training groups compared to controls. However, no significant difference was observed between the two training groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Combined training, regardless of aerobic type (interval or continuous), significantly increases serum serotonin and muscle strength in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease. The lack of difference between groups suggests the resistance component is the primary driver of these adaptations, and both aerobic modalities are equally effective. These findings introduce combined training as a flexible, non-pharmacological rehabilitation strategy for Parkinson's disease.

Keywords

Parkinson&rsquo

s disease, Combined training, Muscle strength, Serotonin

Subjects