Leptin is related to body fat content in male distance runners.
Hickey, Matthew S., Robert V. Considine, Richard G. Israel, Tyson L.
Mahar, Michael R. McCammon, Gilian L. Tyndall, Joseph A. Houmard, and
Jose F. Caro.
Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Exercise and Sport
Science, School of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina
University, Greenville, NC 27858, Division of Endocrinology and
Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College of
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Department of
Exercise and Sport Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,
CO 80523
APStracts 3:0183E, 1996.
Leptin, the product of the ob gene, has been reported to be related to
body fat in humans (Considine, et al. NEJOM, 334: 292, 1996).
However, little is known about the physiology of this putative
satiety signal in humans. The purpose of the present study was to
determine whether leptin in related to body fat content in relatively
lean, endurance trained adults. In addition, the effect of acute
exercise on circulating leptin concentration was studied. Thirteen
male runners, whose mean age, height, weight, %fat, and VO2max were
32.2+/-2.5 y, 176.2+/-1.6 cm, 71.9+/-6.9 kg, 9.7+/-0.9%, and 62.9+/
-2.2 ml[lambda]kg-1[lambda]min-1, respectively, were studied. Blood
samples were obtained following an overnight fast and again
immediately following the completion of a 20 mile run at 70% VO2max
under controlled environmental conditions. Serum leptin was closely
related to fat mass (r=0.92) in the runners. Acute exercise had no
detectable effect on serum leptin levels (PRE = 2.19+/-0.32
ng[lambda]ml-1, POST = 2.14+/-0.36 ng[lambda]ml-1). These data
indicate that even at a biological extreme of body fat, circulating
leptin concentration is closely related to fat content. Further, the
data suggest that in trained individuals with low leptin
concentrations, acute exhaustive exercise has no immediate effect on
circulating leptin concentration.
Received 6 June 1996; accepted in final form 1 August 1996.
APS Manuscript Number E277-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 19 September 1996