Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Journal of Eexercise & Organ Cross Talk

Effects of eight weeks of functional training with and without blood flow restriction on serum irisin, IGF-1, and lipid profile in elderly women: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Farkhondeh Khanmohammadi 1
Elham Shakoor 1
Kia Ranjbar 2
Ghorbangol Ashabi 3

1 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22122/jeoct.2026.595101.1222
Abstract
Aging in women accelerates declines in anabolic hormones and disrupts lipid homeostasis, increasing cardiometabolic risk. Whether combining blood flow restriction (BFR) with functional training provides greater benefits for irisin, IGF-1, and lipid indices than functional training alone remains unclear. This study examined the effects of 8 weeks of functional training with and without BFR on these outcomes in older women. Thirty-six older women (mean age, 63.41 years) were randomly assigned to functional training with BFR (FTBFR; 20–55% 1RM), functional training (FT; 40–75% 1RM), or control (CON). The exercise protocol included 10 functional movements performed three times weekly for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected before and 48 hours after the final session. Serum irisin and IGF-1 were measured by ELISA, and lipid indices (TC, TG, LDL, and HDL) were assessed using enzymatic assays. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and ANCOVA (P < 0.05). Significant between-group differences were observed for irisin (P = 0.0001), IGF-1 (P = 0.001), and the LDL/HDL ratio (P = 0.0001). Both training groups increased irisin (FTBFR, 32.85%; FT, 23.98%) and IGF-1 (FTBFR, 14.03%; FT, 9.28%) and reduced the LDL/HDL ratio (FTBFR, 25.09%; FT, 18.39%), whereas no changes occurred in CON. FTBFR produced a greater improvement in the LDL/HDL ratio than FT (P = 0.025). Eight weeks of functional training improved endocrine and lipid-related biomarkers in older women. Adding BFR may enhance lipid-related adaptations during low-load functional training, although its independent contribution requires further investigation.

What is already known on this subject?

• Functional training can improve physical function and cardiometabolic health in older adults. 

• Exercise-induced myokines, particularly irisin, are involved in skeletal muscle–adipose tissue communication and metabolic regulation. 

• IGF-1 plays an important role in muscle remodeling, protein synthesis, and healthy aging. 

• Blood flow restriction training can induce metabolic and neuromuscular adaptations with relatively low external loads. 

 

What this study adds?

• To our knowledge, few studies have simultaneously examined the effects of functional training with and without blood flow restriction on irisin, IGF-1, and lipid profile markers in older women. 

• This study shows that both functional training protocols increased serum irisin and IGF-1 levels, while the greatest overall changes were observed when functional training was combined with blood flow restriction. 

• BFR-integrated functional training produced a significantly greater improvement in the LDL/HDL ratio compared with functional training alone. 

Keywords

Sarcopenia
Blood flow restriction
Functional training
Irisin
Elderly
Women
Subjects

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank all older women who participated in this study for their time, commitment, and valuable cooperation. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the manager and staff of Barman Club, Tehran, for their support and assistance in facilitating the implementation of the training sessions and data collection procedures.

Funding

This research did not receive any dedicated financial support from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in the present research.

Ethical approval The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Alzahra University (Approval ID: IR.ALZAHRA.REC.1404.021). The trial was also registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials under the registration number IRCT20250424065464N1. All participants provided written informed consent before enrollment, and all study procedures were conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before their enrollment in the study. The participants were informed about the study objectives, procedures, potential benefits, and possible risks, and were free to withdraw from the study at any time without consequences. 

Author contributions 

Conceptualization: E.S. and F.K.; Methodology: E.S., K.R., and G.A.; Software: F.K.; Formal analysis: F.K., E.S., and K.R.; Investigation: F.K.; Resources: E.S., K.R., and G.A.; Data curation: F.K.; Writing – original draft: F.K., E.S., K.R., and G.A.; Writing – review and editing: F.K., E.S., K.R., and G.A.; Visualization: F.K. and E.S.; Supervision: E.S.; Project administration: E.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.; Funding acquisition: E.S.        

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Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Volume 6, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 156-166

  • Receive Date 02 June 2026
  • Revise Date 09 August 2026
  • Accept Date 11 August 2026

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