[Comparison of leptin levels, body composition and aerobic power of girl athletes and non-athletes in the early and late puberty]

Background and Objectives: leptin plays an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis and the beginning of the maturation process. The effects of exercise trainings on leptin levels are unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare leptin levels, body composition and aerobic power in girl athletes and non-athletes in the early and late puberty

Materials and Methods: eighteen girls in the early puberty with a mean age of 10.25+/- 0.39 years and 18 girls in the late puberty with a mean age of 14.72+/- 0.42 years [in each group, n=9 Taekwondo athletes and 9 non-athletes] voluntarily participated in this study. Evaluation of puberty stage was based on the 5-stage Tanner model. Blood leptin was measured by ELISA. After determining body composition using a caliper, maximum oxygen consumption was measured using the Queen College step test

Results: in the late pubertal, girl athletes had higher leptin levels than non-athletes [p<0.05]. Girl athletes than non-athletes had a higher level of aerobic power [p<0.05]. Plasma leptin concentrations correlated directly with body fat percentage, BMI, fat mass and inversely related to aerobic power [p<0.05]

Conclusion: we encountered decrease in serum leptin following a regular exercise in girl athletes at the late puberty, at the early puberty; this decrease was not significant. However, the benefits of regular physical activity in girl athletes to increase aerobic power were evident at the early and late puberty

effect of 12 weeks regular physical activity and vitamin E in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a pilot study

Despite the prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease [NAFLD] and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis [NASH], there was no treatment has been proven to be effective in these common diseases. Although many studies have shown that lifestyle modifications such as increasing physical activities and exercise could be effective in the treatment of these common diseases, the optimal strategy was still not determined. According to the beneficial effects of antioxidant agents in the treatment of NASH, vitamin E has been used for this purpose by some clinicians. We designed this study for assessing beneficial effects of regular physical activity on the biochemical and imaging responses in patients with NASH and comparing this with vitamin E as an accepted treatment for NASH. This study was Randomized and single-blind clinical trials were carried out in Gonbad-e Kavus through which a total of 30 consecutive patients with the ultra sonographic diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]were enrolled and randomized to one of the three groups: Vitamin E 800 mg/day, regular physical activity, or both. In all treatment groups improvement in liver transaminases level, serum lipids and ultrasonographic grading of fatty liver occurred after three months of treatment. When these decrement was compared between the treatment groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the value of improvement between the three groups [ANOVA: p>0.5]. I.e. all three interventions improved the biochemical and ultrasonographic finding of fatty liver in the same way. Both groups with regular exercise had significant mean weight loss in comparison with the vitamin E group [a mean decrease of 3.0 kg in exercise group, 5.8 kg in subjects on regular exercise plus vitamin E and 0.2 kg in vitamin E group, ANOVA: p=0.04]. There were no significant differences between exercise and vitamin E alone or in combination regarding the reduction in the level of liver enzymes and sonographic evidences of fatty liver although both resulted in significant improvements in biochemical endpoints. This implies that physical activity could be considered as effective as vitamin E in the improvement of biochemical and ultrasonographic presentations of NASH and the addition of Vitamin E does not offer any benefits. According to the findings of this pilot study a full-powered study with a control group should be designed

effects of 8-week nigella sativa supplementation and aerobic training on lipid profile and VO 2 max in sedentary overweight females

Regular moderate intensity physical activity and lipid lowering effects of Nigella sativa [N. sativa] supplementation may be appropriate management for sedentary overweight females. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the effects of long-term N. sativasupplementation and aerobic training on lipid profile and maximal oxygen consumption [VO2max] in sedentary overweight females. In this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, which was conducted in Kerman city [Iran], 20 sedentary overweight females were divided into two groups and assigned to N. sativasupplementation [N. sativacapsules] or a placebo for the 8 weeks, both groups participated in an aerobic training program [3 times/week]. Each N. sativacapsule contained 500 +/- 10 mg N. sativacrushed seeds and subjects had to take 2 g N. sativaperday for 8 weeks. Blood lipids and VO2 max were determined at baseline and at the end of 8 weeks. N. sativasupplementation lowered total cholesterol [TC] [P< 0.01], triglyceride [P< 0.001], low-density lipoprotein [LDL] [P< 0.001] and body mass index [P< 0.01] and increased high density lipoprotein [HDL] and VO2 max [P< 0.01]. Aerobic training program lowered TC [P< 0.001] and LDL [P< 0.01] and increased VO2 max [P< 0.01]. Furthermore, we observed a significant effect of aerobic training program and N. sativasupplementation lowered LDL and HDL [P< 0.05]. The present study demonstrates that 8-week aerobic training plus N. sativasupplementation have a synergistic effect in improve profile lipid parameters

Lipocalin-2: response to a progressive treadmill protocol in obese and normal-weight men

Lipocallin-2 [Lcn2], a newer adipocyte-secreted acute phase protein, was recently reported to be correlated with potential effects on obesity and inflammation. The reaction of this protein to progressive exercise has not been evaluated yet. This study was designed to compare the serum Lcn2 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] levels after participating in an acute bout of treadmill protocol in obese and normal-weight men. Nine obese [aged: 43.2 +/- 4.6 yrs and body mass index [BMI]: 31.4 +/- 1.6 kg/m[2]] and 9 normal-weight [aged: 42.9 +/- 4.4 yr and BMI: 23.03 +/- 1.7 kg/m[2]; mean +/- SD] sedentary men selected randomly from volunteers performed a single bout of exercise according to the treadmill Bruce protocol. Before the exercise, Lcn2 level was higher in obese than normal-weight individuals [P<0.05]. A significant increase in Lcn2, hs-CRP, white blood cells [WBC] and insulin resistance index was observed after the exercise in both groups [P<0.05]. The level of Lcn2, hs-CRP and WBC increase was more significant in obese individuals than normal-weight subjects after the exercise [P<0.05]. It seems that the levels of Lcn2 and other inflammatory markers elevated in obese and normal-weight men after participating in an exhaustive progressive exercise. These changes in obese men were considerable