ABSTRACT
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