5. ConclusionThis research further

5. Conclusion
This research further strengthens the evidence for the safety
and efficacy of prescribing resistance and aerobic exercise
to HIV-infected men. No adverse events were reported, and
there was a very low attrition rate. The only circulating
hormone or cytokine we found in abnormal levels was IL-
1-β, which was more than twice as high as the upper limit
of the normal range. Aside from IL-1-β, our findings of
“normal” circulating levels of hormones and cytokines in our
population may explain our inability to detect changes in all
these variables, except cortisol. It may be that those HIVinfected
persons experiencing chronic low-grade inflammation
may respond differently to the prescribed exercise
intervention. Even in healthy populations, it is common
to not detect changes in these variables, thus our HIVinfected
population may be responding to exercise training
the same as uninfected persons. Also, these data suggest
that the benefits of exercise training in HIV-infected men
using ART may be attributable to the transient decrease in
resting CORT, the accumulation of hormone and cytokine
changes following individual exercise sessions, or to factors
yet to be investigated. Additionally, these results indicate that
low-volume moderate-intensity exercise training, consistent
with ACSM guidelines, is sufficient to produce beneficial
physiological adaptations and the resulting performance
improvements (increase in upper and lower body strength)
in HIV-infected men receiving ART. Further, this study is the
first to report differential effects of exercise training based
on preintervention body composition. Both the +20 and
−20 groups realized the health benefits of increasing lean
tissue mass, without gaining fat mass, while the +20 group
also experienced the health benefit of losing trunk fat. Taken
together, these results provide evidence for the effectiveness
of combined moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance
exercise training at decreasing the risk for cardiometabolic
diseases and increasing lean tissue mass; thus, strongly
suggesting its inclusion in the standardized treatment plan
of those infected with HIV-1.