ABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of endurance training accompanied by fasting and a period of detraining on serum leptin and fructosamine in overweight men. Twenty-one healthy male subjects [Mean +/- SD; age 25.2 +/- 3.7 years; weight 78.3 +/- 12.7 kg; BMI 26,1 +/- 3.7] voluntarily participated in the study and were divided into the fasting [F] and endurance training+ fasting [F+ET] groups. The F+ET group performed a training program on treadmills for four weeks, 3 times per week during Ramadan. The energy expenditure in each exercise session during at the first week of Ramadan was 500 Kcal and increased to 800 Kcal per session by the last week of Ramadan. At the end of Ramadan, the F+ET group stopped training and fasting and underwent 2 weeks of detraining, and the F group returned to a normal diet during this period. Anthropometric characteristics were measured and three blood samples were taken before, at the end of Ramadan and after detraining. Data were analyzed by using repeated measures of ANOVA with a between group factor. The between-group comparison showed that changes in serum leptin and fructosamine were not significantly different between the two groups [p>0.05]. Furthermore, serum leptin and fructosamine levels did not change [within-group comparison] in the F and F+ET groups [p>0.05]. Based on the findings of the present study it could be concluded that compared to fasting per se, combining endurance training and fasting do not induce more changes in leptin and fructoseamine