OBJECTIVE: We analyzed aerobic endurance, energy expenditure, and serum leptin concentrations during programmed, short-term exercise in a group of untrained, obese children and adolescents. METHODS: This was a prospective, controlled study of prepubertal males and females ages 6 to 11 y. Group 1 (n = 40) comprised obese children, and group 2 comprised similarly aged non-obese children (n = 16). The children completed a stepwise maximal aerobic endurance test (Bruce protocol) on a treadmill. The variables measured included anthropometric indexes, serum leptin, and physiologic indexes. RESULTS:Maximal oxygen consumption (corrected for body weight) values were 29.9 +/- 6.7 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) in group 1 and 47.2 +/- 5.3 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) in group 2 (P < 0.05). The number of exercise steps was smaller in group 1 (3.7 +/- 0.7 versus 5.3 +/- 0.4, P < 0.05), as was time to exhaustion (9.3 +/- 1.9 min versus 15.1 +/- 1.9 min, P < 0.05). However, the energy cost of the exercise did not differ significantly between groups (57.7 +/- 17.8 kcal versus 65.2 +/- 17.6 kcal), indicating greater energy expenditure for less performance in the obese children. Initial leptin concentrations were higher in group 1 (24.0 +/- 13.1 ng/mL versus 1.6 +/- 1.7 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and exercise did not significantly modify these findings. CONCLUSIONS:Obese children were seriously unfit and paid a high energy price for the treadmill test. Initial leptin concentrations were very high in the obese children, in the range of concentrations found in obese adults. No significant change in leptin concentration was observed at the end of the test, probably because of the short duration of the activity.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: We analyzed aerobic endurance, energy expenditure, and serum leptin concentrations during programmed, short-term exercise in a group of untrained, obesechildren and adolescents. METHODS: This was a prospective, controlled study of prepubertal males and females ages 6 to 11 y. Group 1 (n = 40) comprised obesechildren, and group 2 comprised similarly aged non-obesechildren (n = 16). The children completed a stepwise maximal aerobic endurance test (Bruce protocol) on a treadmill. The variables measured included anthropometric indexes, serum leptin, and physiologic indexes. RESULTS: Maximal oxygen consumption (corrected for body weight) values were 29.9 +/- 6.7 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) in group 1 and 47.2 +/- 5.3 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) in group 2 (P < 0.05). The number of exercise steps was smaller in group 1 (3.7 +/- 0.7 versus 5.3 +/- 0.4, P < 0.05), as was time to exhaustion (9.3 +/- 1.9 min versus 15.1 +/- 1.9 min, P < 0.05). However, the energy cost of the exercise did not differ significantly between groups (57.7 +/- 17.8 kcal versus 65.2 +/- 17.6 kcal), indicating greater energy expenditure for less performance in the obesechildren. Initial leptin concentrations were higher in group 1 (24.0 +/- 13.1 ng/mL versus 1.6 +/- 1.7 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and exercise did not significantly modify these findings. CONCLUSIONS:Obesechildren were seriously unfit and paid a high energy price for the treadmill test. Initial leptin concentrations were very high in the obesechildren, in the range of concentrations found in obese adults. No significant change in leptin concentration was observed at the end of the test, probably because of the short duration of the activity.
Authors: Linda Mustelin; Kirsi H Pietiläinen; Aila Rissanen; Anssi R Sovijärvi; Päivi Piirilä; Jussi Naukkarinen; Leena Peltonen; Jaakko Kaprio; Hannele Yki-Järvinen Journal: Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab Date: 2008-05-06 Impact factor: 4.310