Effects of physical training and lean body mass of plasma amino acids in man

Postabsorptive plasma amino acid and insulin concentrations were determined in subjects with hyperplastic obesity and in nonobese controls before and after a 6-wk period of physical training. After the training period the plasma concentrations of insulin and leucine decreased and the concentration of alanine increased in the obese subjects. No changes were noticed in the controls. The obese subjects had elevated plasma levels of valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine before as well as after physical training. The concentrations of these amino acids were correlated to the plasma insulin level and to lean body mass before but only to lean body mass after physical training. It is suggested that the lean body mass, whick is higher in hyperplastic obesity, contributes to the elevated concentrations of amino acids, and it is unlikely that the insulin decreases in the obese subjects after physical training is mediated through an effect of amino acids on insulin secretion.