The effect of very short duration acute physical exercise upon adiponectin and leptin in overweight subjects

Adiponectin is decreased and leptin increased in overweight subjects. In turn, exercise has controversial effect upon adiponectin and leptin plasmatic levels.

To study the effect of acute exercise upon plasmatic levels of adiponectin and leptin in normal and overweight subjects.

We studied 79 subjects, 42 males and 37 females, aged 56 +/- 9 years, divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 19 patients with body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/(m)2 and group II consisted of 60 overweight subjects (BMI > 25 kg/(m)2). All subjects were submitted to a maximal symptom limited exercise stress testing on cycloergometer, upon classical protocols (mean effort 103 +/- 27 Ws). Venous blood samples were obtained before exercise (sample I) and at 30 minutes after the effort was stopped (sample II); adiponectin and leptin levels were determined, using ELISA method.

At rest adiponectin is significantly decreased and leptin increased in overweight subjects. In turn, during exercise the values of the two adipokines were not significantly different from those registered at rest in both groups, even if the adiponectin remained at a low level and leptin decreased at the limit of significance in overweight subjects. Considering men and women, the data are similar for men but, after exercise, overweight women registered a significant reduction of the leptin values. Also at rest adiponectin levels are more increased in overweight women (p = 0.01). This suggests that overweight women can be protected in comparison with men and exercise could add a supplementary benefice.

Acute exercise has little effect upon adiponectin and leptin levels, but rest adiponectin is increased and leptin significantly decreased during exercise in overweight women and could be beneficial to this category of subjects.