This study aimed to investigate the effects of resistance exercise on the progression of periodontal disease in rats, focusing on alveolar bone loss, attachment loss, and local inflammatory and bone metabolic markers.

Forty male Wistar albino rats were allocated into four experimental groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design: G1 or G2 and G3 or G4. The exercise protocol consisted of progressive swimming sessions over eight weeks, with resistance provided by weights tied to the animals. In the final week, MBT was performed, and rats were sacrificed for histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis.

The values for alveolar bone loss and attachment loss were significantly lower in the exercised groups compared to both the G1 and G2 groups (p < 0.001). Among the rats with periodontitis, TNF-α expression was significantly lower in the exercised group (p = 0.002), whereas IL-10 levels showed no significant differences (p > 0.005). RANKL expression was elevated in G2 (p = 0.039), with no significant variation in OPG among groups. In MBT, G2 showed significantly higher values compared to G1 and G3 (p = 0.004). G4 displayed intermediate values, higher than G3 but lower than G2, without statistical significance (p > 0.005).

Physical exercise reduced TNF-α levels in the presence of periodontitis and increased IL-10, although the latter change was not statistically significant. Exercise also contributed to a decrease in RANKL/OPG expression, suggesting a protective effect on alveolar bone resorption. MBT findings further indicate that exercise may alleviate periodontitis-associated behavioral alterations, supporting its potential role as an adjunctive therapy in managing periodontitis.