Exercise Training Improved Plasma Glucose and Lipid Profiles in Obese Hispanic Women

Obesity is strongly associated with increased morbidity and mortality, notably among Hispanic women. Exercise may improve cardiovascular health by positively altering plasma lipids and lipoproteins; however, the effects of different intensities of exercise on plasma glucose and lipid profiles have not been extensively studied within Hispanic women. PURPOSE: The current study examined the effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise training at either high or low intensity on plasma glucose and lipid profiles in obese Hispanic females. METHODS: Thirty physically inactive, obese females (age= 26.07±4.4 years, height= 161.4±4.1 cm, weight= 89.8±8.1 kg and %body fat= 40.9 ±4.9%) were randomly assigned to three groups: control (n= 10, no exercise), low-intensity exercise (LI, n= 10, 50% VO2max) and high-intensity exercise (HI, n=10, 70% VO2max). Both LI and HI groups participated in supervised exercise training on a treadmill for 12 weeks with the following exercise protocol: weeks 1-4 (3 days per week to expend 13.5 METs×hr/w), weeks 5-8 (4 days per week to expend 18.0 METs×hr/w), and weeks 9-12 (5 days per week to expend 22.5 METs×hr/w). Overnight fasting plasma samples were taken at before (PRE) and after the 12-weeks of exercise training (POST). A 3 x 2 analysis of variance with a Tukey post-hoc test (p RESULTS: Both LI and HI groups decreased body weight up to 2.1 and 3.4kg, respectively. TC at POST in the LI group (116.53±5.32 mg/dL) was significantly lower (p p=0.036 and 67.17±5.24 mg/dL, p=0.006), respectively. Plasma glucose at POST in both LI (75.32±2.71 mg/dL, p= .024) and control groups (80.1±2.71 mg/dL, p=0.001) was lower than in the HI group (90.77±2.78 mg/dL). CONCLUSION: Regardless of exercise intensity, both low and high intensity aerobic exercise training for 12 weeks improved body weight and body composition in obese Hispanic women. However, the low-intensity exercise provided a more favorable effect than the high-intensity exercise on the plasma glucose and lipid profiles of obese Hispanic women