The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on the Levels of Leptin and Adiponectin in Overweight Women

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Several epidemiological studies have indicated factors such as Leptin level, Adiponectin and plasma adiponectin-to-leptin index to be the predicting biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases. Given the importance of healthy nutrition and adequate exercise in reducing the risk of Atherosclerosis, this study aimed to investigate the effects of fasting and aerobic exercise on the level of leptin and adiponectin in overweight women.   Materials and Methods: In this study, 27 overweight and obese women with the body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 and the age range of 45-20 years were selected by targeted sampling and were divided into two groups of fasting accompanied with aerobic exercise (N=15), and fasting only (N=12). The active group had an exercise protocol including three 60-minute sessions of aerobic exercise per week, with the maximum heart rate of 50-65%. Anthropometric dimensions and blood levels of leptin and adiponectin were measured in all the subjects before, at the second week and the fourth week and one week after Ramadan. Data analysis was carried out using repeated measures, and a P value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.   Results: In this study, one month of fasting accompanied with aerobic exercise had a significant effect on the amount of leptin, adiponectin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (