Effects of 8 Weeks Moderate and High Intensity Training on Hemoglobin Levels of Female Students

Anemia is a global health problem and occurs at all stages of the life cycle but is more prevalent among 50% young females of reproductive age and 21% of age group 9-29 years, faces the same problem in Punjab, a province of Pakistan. Higher percentage was found in hostilities (39.2%) as compared to day scholars (23.1%). Anemia has been shown affect to mental development and learning capacity, stress level, may cause irritability, fatigue, difficulty with concentration, lethargy, weakness, and increased susceptibility to infection. Consequently, anemic patients may tend to be poor in quality of life.

Adult men and adult women have different hemoglobin levels in health. This difference is independent of iron status - iron replete pre-menopausal women have mean hemoglobin levels approximately 12% lower than age \& race matched men. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES HI) showed that 9% to11% of adolescent girls and women of child-bearing age were iron-deficient and 2% to5% of them were diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency with the presence of low hemoglobin is the criterion for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia.There have been frequent reports of a sub-optimal hematological status being observed in athletes involved in intensive physical activity.

Physical activity especially moderate and high intensity reduce mortality and prevent many chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and cancer, and stimulate erythropoiesis, which can promote healthy cognitive and psycho-social function and increased hemoglobin concentration Hb lead to increase maximum oxygen carrying capacity. A study reported that aerobic exercise increased hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and hematologic factors in young females.

Recently, the rising prevalence of physical inactivity worldwide has become a major public health concern, and more than one in four adults fail to follow the minimum recommended levels of participating in 150 min of moderate physical activity (MPA) per week.

This is because the network or cell will need more oxygen when doing activities so that there is adaptation in binding oxygen in the blood. But another study conducted on sedentary women suggest that exercise reduce the red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct) in sedentary women.

Recently, the prevalence and popularity of high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) among young adults has provided an exciting type of exercise and health promotion intervention. High-intensity interval training (HIT) consisting of short bouts of vigorous intensity exercise, interspersed with low-intensity recovery periods, seems to be the most effective method to improve exercise performance not only in well-trained athletes but also in sedentary and diseased individuals.

Literature shows that there isn't any defined physical activity, which can affect the Hb concentration. Currently no study was found in Pakistan regarding effectiveness of Physical activity on Hemoglobin concentration in young female. Internationally there is also conflicting result about the effect of exercise in increasing or decreasing Hb level. The authors conclude that both high and moderate intensity exercises can improve HB levels in female students. They suggest that the benefits of exercise on HB concentration appear to be more pronounced in those with lower baseline HB levels.

Most of the literature showed that level of physical activity is associated with Hb level. But there is paucity in the literature regarding the cause-and-effect relationship of PA and Hb and any defined physical activity, which can affect the Hb concentration in young female. So objective of the current study is to determine and compare the effectiveness of moderate and vigorous physical activity improving hemoglobin concentration in young female.