Aim: Exercise can improve appetite, inflammatory mediators, lipid profiles, and body composition in overweight or obese patients. However, it has not yet been clearly elucidated how exercise affects healthy people in relation to these variables. Thus, we investigated the effects of an exercise program on appetite-regulating hormones, inflammatory mediators, lipid profiles, and body composition in healthy men.
Methods: Thirty sedentary men were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups (exercise group, EG, N.=15 and control group, CG, N.=15). Total plasma ghrelin, leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by radioimmunoassay and immunoassay. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) were determined by enzymatic assay. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Results: After 8 weeks, the ghrelin and leptin levels of CG showed a tendency to increase, whereas those of EG were significantly decreased. Although TNF-α and CRP, except for IL-6, showed a tendency to increase in CG, all three tended to decrease in EG after 8 weeks. TG and LDL-C were significantly increased in CG. The TC, TG, and LDL-C levels of EG were remarkably decreased, whereas HDL-C was significantly increased. In EG, body weight, fat mass, percent fat, and waist/hip ratio were significantly decreased, whereas muscle mass was significantly increased after 8 weeks.
Conclusion: The present study results have demonstrated the beneficial effects of an exercise program by altering appetite-regulating hormones, decreasing inflammatory factors, and improving lipid profiles and body composition in healthy young men.