Effect of short-term exercise training on leptin and insulin action

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of short-term exercise training (7 consecutive days for 60 min/d at 75% maximal oxygen consumption[VO2 max]), which did not change body mass on fasting plasma leptin concentration and insulin action. Young, lean subjects (n = 16; age, 21.9 ± 0.6 years; body fat, 17.5% ± 1.5%) and older subjects with relatively more adipose tissue (n = 14; age, 58.6 ± 1.4 years; body fat, 28.3% ± 1.3%) were studied (mean ± SE). Fasting plasma leptin was significantly (P < .05) related to adiposity (fat mass, r = .58;% body fat, r = .76) in this population. Body mass did not change (P < .05) in any of the groups with training (71.8 ± 2.5 v 71.9 ± 2.5 kg). The insulin sensitivity index (Si determined from an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) improved significantly (P < .05) in both the young group (4.8 ± 0.6 v 6.9 ± 0.8 × 10−4/min (μU/mL) and the older group (3.2 ± 0.6 v 5.9 ± 1.0 × 10−4/min (μU/mL)). Fasting leptin did not change with training in either group (10.4 ± 1.6 v 9.2 ± 1.0 ng/mL). These findings suggest that exercise does not independently affect the fasting plasma leptin concentration and the improvement in insulin action with exercise is not associated with an alteration in fasting leptin in healthy sedentary lean and relatively lean subjects.