Hormonal, metabolic and cardiovascular response to the duration of a combined slimming regimen

The rapid weight decrease at the beginning of strict slimming regimens leads often to an inconsiderate shortening of these cures. Our long-term experience with a slimming regimen lasting 13 days based on diet (3.7 MJ) and 4 hours of supervised exercise of low to moderate intensity was omitted by the organizers. They shortened the cure to 8 days. We checked therefore a group of obese women on the first, eight and twelfth day in the course of this regimen. A statistically significant decrease of serum insulin, growth hormone, triiodothyronine and cholesterol was observed on the twelfth day. These trends were not significant on the eighth day. On the other hand, the step-test revealed on the eighth day a reduction of the heart rate during recovery. Nevertheless, a higher level of significance was obtained after 12 days. No significant response to the regimen was obtained in the case of blood glucose, thyroxine, cortisol, uric acid, AST and ALT. The advantages of the 12-day regimen are discussed--especially the decrease of insulinemia, because hyperinsulinemia is responsible for several complications of obesity. The importance of the decrease of cholesterolaemia and the modification of heart rate after a load was also stressed. These favourable effects are not depreciated by a smaller weight loss in the second week due to an enhanced protein synthesis, stimulated by exercise and supported by a decrease of T3 which protects the organism against energy deficit.