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Effect of aerobic training on insulin resistance and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and subcutaneous abdominal in obese women

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Abstract

This study examined the effect of three training intensities on abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Forty-three young obese women (age 20–30 years; body mass index 30–40 kg/m2) underwent 12 weeks of walking programs (i.e., 5 days/week). They were randomly assigned to one of four groups: low-intensity training group [G1, 50 % of heart rate reserve (HRR), n = 11], high-intensity training group (G2, 75 % of HRR, n = 10), alternated-intensity training group (G3, 50–75 % of HRR, n = 12), and control group (G0, n = 10). They were tested before (T0) and after (T1) 12 weeks of aerobic training to determine changes in body mass, body mass index (BMI), total fat, waist circumference (WC), leptin, HOMA-IR, glucose and CRP. Body mass, BMI, total fat, and WC were significantly lower at T1 than T0 (p < 0.001) in all training groups. However, the decrease was higher in G2 than G1 and G3. Leptin levels decreased significantly in G1, G2, and G3 (p < 0.05). Only G1 showed significant decreases in CRP levels (p < 0.05). Insulin, HOMA-IR, and glucose levels decreased in the three training groups with higher decrease in G1. The low-intensity training is more effective than the high-intensity training or alternated-intensity training for improving insulin sensitivity and reducing subclinical inflammation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to all participants for their cooperation. This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Tunisia.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

All institutional and national guidelines for care and use of laboratory were followed. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Nourhen Mezghanni, Mouna Mnif & Mohamed Abid

  2. Research Unit “Molecular Basis of Human Pathology”, Faculty of Medicine Sfax-Tunisia (UR/O2-UR08/20), University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Khansa Chaabouni, Fatma Makni & Kamel Jamoussi

  3. Research Laboratory “Sport Performance Optimization”, National Centre of Medicine and Science in Sport, Tunis, Tunisia

    Hamdi Chtourou

  4. Research Unit (EM2S), High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Liwa Masmoudi & Abdelaziz Lassoued

  5. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science of Sfax, USCR Sequencer of Protein, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Hafedh Mejdoub

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  1. Nourhen Mezghanni
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  2. Mouna Mnif
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Correspondence to Hamdi Chtourou.

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Mezghanni, N., Mnif, M., Chtourou, H. et al. Effect of aerobic training on insulin resistance and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and subcutaneous abdominal in obese women. Sport Sci Health 10, 111–118 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-014-0181-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-014-0181-1

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