purpose: Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the responses of plasma myokines and lipid profiles to anaerobic threshold running in obese men.
Methods: 24 obese men with a body mass index above 28 kg/m2 voluntarily participated in this quasi-experimental study. They were then randomly divided into two experimental groups (n=12) and control groups (n=12). The group's training program consisted of 4 60-second runs at an intensity of 70 to 85% of maximum heart rate with a 4-minute rest period for 8 weeks. In order to comply with the overload principle, the intensity of the activity was increased every two weeks. Blood samples were taken 24 hours before the start of the training period and 48 hours after the end of the last session.
Findings: After 8 weeks of training intervention, the experimental group showed that running exercises at anaerobic threshold resulted in a significant increase in follistatin levels (p=0.032) and a significant decrease in SPARC levels (p=0.012), triglycerides (p=0.043), total cholesterol (p=0.026), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.038), and body mass index (p=0.035). However, no significant change was observed in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.047).
Conclusion: Running training at the anaerobic threshold, as a non-pharmacological and efficient method, can probably change serum myokine levels and lipid profile in obese men and thus improve their body composition.