Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To investigate whether a supervised structured exercise program by 16 weeks improves metabolic, pulmonary and cardiovascular parameters in obese adolescents.

Material and methods: We included 38 obese adolescents between 12–15 years old. They participated in a supervised exercise program by 90 minutes, 5 days a week during 16 weeks. At baseline and at the end of the exercise program, we evaluated cardiorespiratory fitness, anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, glucose, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, and blood pressure levels. Pulmonary function was evaluated by spirometry and heart sympathetic activity by spectral analysis of the R-R interval during 60 minutes to obtain indices of heart autonomic function.

Results: The exercise program increased exercise ability (P<0.001), maximal oxygen uptake (P=0.01), forced vital capacity (P=0.004), and adiponectin levels (P<0.001); while BMI (P=0.001), body fat (<0.001), glucose, triglycerides (P<0.001 in both), leptin (P<0.001), blood pressure levels (P<0.001), and heart sympathetic activity expressed as LF/HF index (P=0.005) significantly decreased. The change in LF/HF index was correlated with the decrease in leptin (r=43; P=0.007), diastolic (r=0.33; P=0.04) and systolic (0.35; P=0.03) blood pressure levels respectively.

Conclusions: A short-term supervised structured exercise decreased adiposity and improves metabolic, pulmonary, and cardiovascular parameters in obese adolescents.