Effect of a 12-week low vs. high intensity aerobic exercise training on appetite-regulating hormones in obese adolescents: A randomized exercise intervention study

Little is known about how the intensity of aerobic training influences appetite-regulating hormones in obese adolescents. Our goal was to assess the effect of low and high intensity aerobic trainings on food intake and appetite-regulating hormones in obese adolescents. Forty three obese adolescents (age: 13-18y, BMI: 34.48 ± 3.94 kg/m²) were randomized into high intensity training (HIT; n = 20) or low intensity training (LIT; n = 23) groups for 12 weeks. All participants also received the same nutritional, psychological and clinical counseling. Pre- and postintervention energy intake (EI) and circulating levels of insulin, leptin, peptide YY_3-36 (PYY_3-36) and ghrelin were measured. Adolescents in the HIT showed a reduction in total EI and an increase in PYY_3-36 (p < .05). Aerobic exercise training performed at ventilatory threshold 1 intensity, reduced EI and augmented PYY_3-36 in obese adolescents, compared with LIT. The data suggest that HIT and LIT have differential effects in the regulation of appetite signals and subsequent EI in obese adolescents.