Biological Response of Irisin Induced by Different Types of Exercise in Obese Subjects: A Non-Inferiority Controlled Randomized Study

Weight loss through physical exercise is warranted among obese individuals. Recently, a greater benefit in cardiorespiratory fitness was achievable with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as compared with moderate intensity continuous training. The beneficial effect of training on CV health might be related to a specific modulation of circulating irisin, an adypo-myokine implicated in the regulation of energy expenditure. The present study investigates the circulating plasma levels of irisin at baseline and in response to 12-week of training program either with HIIT or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) among young female and male obese subjects. Clinical, anthropometric, and training characteristics for each participant were available. A sex-disaggregated data for circulating plasma levels of irisin pre- and post-training are provided as well as an adjusted multivariate linear regression model to identify the determinants of post-training irisin levels. Data from a total of 32 obese healthy individuals (47% female, mean age 38.7 years, mean BMI 35.6 kg/m ), randomized in a 1:1 manner to HIIT or MICT were analyzed. Circulating plasma levels of irisin similarly and significantly decreased in both MICT and HIIT interventional groups. Females had higher post-exercise irisin levels than males (6.32 [5.51-6.75] vs. 4.97 [4.57-5.72] μg/mL, = 0.001). When stratified by an interventional group, a statistically significant difference was observed only for the MICT group (male, 4.76 [4.20-5.45] μg/mL vs. female 6.48 [4.88-6.84] μg/mL = 0.03). The circulating post-training level of irisin was independently associated with post-training fat-free mass (β -0.34, 95% confidence interval, CI -0.062, -0.006, = 0.019) in a model adjusted confounders. When female sex was added into the adjusted model, it was retained as the only factor independently associated with irisin levels (β 1.22, 95% CI, 0.50, 1.93, = 0.002). In obese healthy subjects, circulating irisin levels were reduced in response to 12-weeks of exercise involving either HIIT or MICT. A sex-specific differences in circulating irisin levels at baseline and as biological response to chronic exercise was described. Sex-specific biological response of irisin to exercise should be further explored to tailor sex-specific training approaches for improving the cardiovascular health of obese healthy subjects.