Veterinary Research Forum
Vet Res Forum

Effects of different durations of high-intensity interval training or continuous training with/without metformin on lipid profile and malondialdehyde level in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Fatemeh Zolfaghari 1
Akbar Nouri Habashi 1
Safiyeh Aghazadeh 2

1 Department of Exercise Physiology and Corrective Exercises, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

2 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30466/vrf.2025.2050200.4623
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder. Exercise is one of the interventions that leads to PCOS improvement. This study aimed to investigate the potential of different durations of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or continuous training (CT) with/ without metformin (MET) in a rat model of PCOS. For this purpose, the rats were randomly placed in seven groups, including control, PCOS, PCOS + CT, PCOS + HIIT, PCOS + MET, PCOS + MET + CT, and PCOS + MET + HIIT. The PCOS was induced by a single intra-muscular injection of 2.00 mg kg-1 estradiol valerate. The concentration of lipid indices showed that serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein decreased, and high-density lipoprotein increased with 8 and 12 weeks of exercise training in PCOS + CT, PCOS + HIIT, PCOS + MET + CT, and PCOS + MET + HIIT groups compared to the PCOS group, but no significant difference was found between groups. Triglyceride level decreased in treated groups with 12 weeks of exercise compared to the PCOS group, and there was no significant difference between the treated groups. Finally, serum malondialdehyde level decreased in groups received exercise intervention alone or combined with MET compared to the PCOS group. These findings revealed that HIIT and CT with longer periods with/without MET can lead to improvement of lipid profile and malondialdehyde level of PCOS patients. 

Keywords

Continuous training
High-intensity interval training
Lipid profile
Malondialdehyde
Polycystic ovary syndrome

Subjects

Veterinary Research Forum
Volume 17, Issue 2
February 2026
Pages 111-118

  • Receive Date 29 January 2025
  • Accept Date 05 February 2025

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