Irisin and exercise training in humans - results from a randomized controlled training trial
Anne Hecksteden1, Melissa Wegmann, Anke Steffen
1Institute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. a.hecksteden@mx.uni-saarland.de.
BMC Medicine
|November 7, 2013
Summary
This study found no increase in irisin levels after exercise training. Long-term storage of frozen samples may affect irisin measurements, potentially explaining previous findings.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology
- Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Irisin, a newly discovered myokine, is hypothesized to mediate training effects.
- Preliminary evidence suggests exercise training may increase irisin levels.
- Further research is needed to confirm irisin's role in exercise adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of regular exercise training on serum irisin concentrations in humans.
- To determine if aerobic endurance training (AET) or strength endurance training (SET) increases irisin levels.
- To examine the relationship between training-induced changes and irisin concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial with 102 participants (age 30-60).
- 26 weeks of AET or SET, 3 times/week, with 70% minimum compliance.
- Serum irisin measured post-intervention; physical performance assessed.
Main Results:
- Both AET and SET significantly improved maximum performance compared to controls.
- No significant differences in serum irisin concentrations were observed between training groups and controls.
- Irisin levels showed a negative association with frozen sample storage duration, a potential confounder.
Conclusions:
- The study did not confirm a training-induced increase in circulating irisin.
- The proposed role of irisin in health-related training effects is questioned.
- Degradation of irisin in frozen samples over time may explain discrepancies with prior studies.
