Leptin and Leptin Receptor Genes Are Associated With Obesity-Related Traits Changes in Response to Aerobic Training Program.

Leonska-Duniec, A, Jastrzebski, Z, Jazdzewska, A, Krzysztof, F, and Cieszczyk, P. Leptin and leptin receptor genes are associated with obesity-related traits changes in response to aerobic training program. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1036-1044, 2018-Leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes have been studied for their potential association with development of human obesity and its related complications. Therefore, we have decided to check whether selected body mass, body composition, and metabolic variables observed in physically active participants will be modulated by the polymorphisms. The genotype distribution was examined in a group of 201 women measured for chosen traits before and after the completion of a 12-week aerobic training program. Our results revealed a significant interaction between training and LEP genotype for glucose level. A training-related decrease in plasma glucose concentration in the LEP AG heterozygotes differed significantly from the change in the homozygotes. The polymorphism was also associated with fat-free mass (FFM), total body water (TBW), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Another finding was a significant interaction between training and LEPR for LDL-C level. As opposed to AG and GG, AA homozygotes demonstrated a training-related decrease in LDL-C level. Our findings also showed that the LEPR G allele is connected with obesity-related traits. The participants with the GG genotype had higher body mass, body mass index (BMI), FFM, and TBW during the entire study period. This study provides evidence that polymorphisms in the LEP and LEPR genes are associated with the magnitude of the effects of regular physical activity on glucose and LDL-C levels, respectively. In addition, we found the association of the G allele of the LEPR polymorphism with body mass and BMI.

ADIPOQ polymorphisms are associated with changes in obesity-related traits in response to aerobic training programme in women.

Among genetic variants of the ADIPOQ gene +276 G>T (rs1501299) and -11377 G>C (rs266729) are the most frequently investigated polymorphisms which were described in the context of genetic conditioning for a predisposition to obesity. However, the information of polymorphisms' potential modifying effect on obesity-related traits achieved through training procedures are still unknown. DNA was extracted from buccal cells donated by the 201 participants and genotyping was carried out using real-time PCR. The genotype distribution was examined in a group of women measured for chosen traits before and after the completion of a 12-week training programme. Our results suggest that the ADIPOQ genotypes analyzed individually or in combination can modulate training-induced body mass measurements changes: after the training programme, carriers of rs1501299 T allele and rs266729 C allele were characterized by a greater reduction in fat mass percentage (FM), fat mass, and body mass. Moreover, the ADIPOQ polymorphisms were associated with changes in lipid profile in response to training. Additionally, we showed three main effects of genotypes for the FM, LDL-C (rs266729), and TBW (rs1501299). Our study indicate that the both polymorphisms are associated with changes in obesity-related traits in response to 12-week aerobic training programme in Caucasian women. From this evidence, it could be concluded that rs1501299 G and rs266728 G variants may be considered as disadvantageous factor in the context of training-induced effects on body mass traits.

Individual Responsiveness to Exercise-Induced Fat Loss and Improvement of Metabolic Profile in Young Women is Associated with Polymorphisms of Adrenergic Receptor Genes.

The effectiveness of physical exercise on fat loss and improvement of aerobic capacity varies considerably between individuals. A strong linkage exists between common allelic variants of the adrenergic receptor genes and weight gain, as well as changes in body composition. Therefore we aimed to check if body composition and metabolic variables were modulated by the ADRB2 (Gly16Arg and Glu27Gln), ADRB3 (Trp64Arg) and ADRA2A (rs553668 G/A) gene polymorphisms in 163 Polish sedentary women (age 19-24; body mass index (BMI) 21.7 ± 0.2 kg·m-2) involved in a 12-week aerobic training program. Only 74.8% of participants lost fat mass. On average, participants lost 5.8 (10.4)% of their relative fat mass with training (range: +28.3 to -63.6%). The improvement of VO2max was significantly greater in women who could lose their fat mass compared to women who were unsuccessful in fat loss (4.5 (5.6)% vs. 1.5 (3.8)%; p = 0.0045). The carriers of a low number (0-3) of obesity-related risk alleles (ADRB2 Gly16, ADRB2 Glu27, ADRA2A rs553668 G) were more successful in fat mass loss compared to the carriers of a high number (5-6) of risk alleles (7.7 (9.8) vs 4.0 (9.4)%, p = 0.0362). The presented results support the assumption that variation within adrenergic receptor genes contributes to interindividual changes of body composition in response to physical exercise.

Changes in pain perception during pregnancy after one-time maximal physical exertion and an 8-week high-intensity interval training.

Background: Pain, a subjective sensation, poses a great challenge to the human body as a stressor. There is empirical evidence that moderate to intense physical activity increases pain tolerance and this may be critical during pregnancy for optimal pregnancy, fetal development, and delivery. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study examining the changes in pain perception in pregnant women after a maximal progressive exercise test and after 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Methods: Thirty-five women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies between 13 and 28 weeks of gestation participated in the study. The HIIT intervention was developed in accordance with the recommendations and available data on HIIT during pregnancy. The maximal progressive cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed on a cycle ergometer with an electronically controlled load. Pressure pain threshold and pressure pain tolerance were measured with an algometer. Results: We found significant effects of the maximal exercise test and high-intensity interval training, such that the pregnant women had higher pain tolerance after the maximal exercise test than before and after the high-intensity interval training than the baseline. Conclusion: Our results suggest that post-exercise analgesia may be important in pregnant women and that high-intensity interval training appears to be beneficial for pregnant women to improve their pain tolerance while being obstetrically safe. Increased pain tolerance before labor could lead to better management of pain during labor and in the postpartum and lactation periods. Increasing pregnant women's awareness of this issue can improve their wellbeing and provide more comfort during labor.

Is Physical Activity an Effective Factor for Modulating Pressure Pain Threshold and Pain Tolerance after Cardiovascular Incidents?

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether regular physical activity can alter the pressure pain threshold, pain tolerance, and subjective pain perception in individuals who have experienced a cardiovascular event. The study involved 85 individuals aged 37 to 84 years (M = 65.36) who qualified for outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, which consisted of 24 physical training sessions. The patients were all tested twice: on the first and last day of the outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. Assessments of the pressure pain threshold and pain tolerance were performed with an algometer. To assess the pain coping strategies, the Pain Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) and parenting styles were measured retrospectively with subjective survey questions. The main results of the study showed that patients achieved significantly higher pressure pain thresholds after a physical training cycle (ps < 0.05, η2 = 0.05-0.14), but found no differences in the pain tolerance (ps > 0.05). A lower preference for the better pain coping strategy explanation (ß = -0.42, p = 0.013) and growing up in a family with a less neglectful atmosphere (ß = -0.35, p = 0.008) were associated with increased pressure pain threshold after physical training. The results suggest that physical activity is an important factor in modulating the pressure pain threshold.

Individual Characteristics and Pain Sensitivity during Pregnancy-A Cross-Sectional Study in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women.

The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics and factors related to pain perception in pregnant women, such as optimism, personality traits, and fear of developing COVID-19 consequences. Sixty-six pregnant women aged 23 to 42 years participated in the study, and the comparison group consisted of n = 59 non-pregnant female students aged 19 to 23 years. Pressure pain threshold and pain tolerance were measured with an algometer. To assess psychological characteristics, the Life-Orientation Test-Revised was used to assess optimism, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to assess COVID-19 anxiety, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory was applied to assess personality traits in a five-factor model. The main results of the study showed that pain tolerance was significantly lower in both dominant and non-dominant hand pregnant women than in the comparison group. The studied pregnant women had higher scores for conscientiousness, fear of COVID-19, and optimism compared with the non-pregnant women. Regression analysis showed that the variability in pain perception among pregnant women could not be explained by individual differences in personality traits, optimism, and fear of COVID-19.

The polymorphisms of the PPARD gene modify post-training body mass and biochemical parameter changes in women.

In this study we examined the genotype distribution of the PPARD rs2267668, rs2016520, and rs1053049 alleles in a group of women, before and after the completion of a 12-week training program. There were two significant genotype × training interactions resulting in decreases of total cholesterol (Chol) through training in rs2267668 G allele carriers and significant increases of triglyceride (TGL) levels in rs2267668 AA homozygotes. Carriers of rs2016520 PPARD C allele exhibited a significant decrease in Chol through training with an accompanying decrease in TGL. There was also overrepresentation of PPARD rs1053049 TT homozygotes in the group with higher post-training TGL levels. Moreover (rs2267668/rs2016520/rs1053049) G/C/T haplotype displayed smaller post-training body mass decrease, suggesting that harboring this specific G/C/T haplotype is unfavorable for achieving the desired training-induced body mass changes. On the other hand, the G/C/C haplotype was significantly associated with post-training increase in fat free mass (FFM) and with lower levels of Chol as well as TGL as observed in the blood of the participants in response to applied training. This observation constitutes the second important finding of the study, implying that when specific training-induced biochemical changes are taken into account, some individuals may benefit from carrying the G/C/C haplotype.