Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk

Abstract Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic diseases. Subfatin, an adipokine with potential metabolic benefits, is of increasing interest. This study investigated the effects of eight weeks of Moderate-Intensity Interval Training (MIIT) on plasma subfatin levels and body composition in sedentary, obese, middle-aged women. Thirty sedentary women (aged 50-60 years; BMI >30 kg/m²) were purposively selected and randomly assigned to an experimental (n=15) or a control (n=15) group. The experimental group performed an eight-week MIIT program (three sessions/week) at an intensity of 50-75% of heart rate reserve, following the principle of progressive overload. The control group maintained their usual sedentary routine. Fasting plasma subfatin levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and body composition indices (BMI, body fat percentage [BFP], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The MIIT group exhibited a significant increase in plasma subfatin levels (p=0.016) and a significant decrease in BFP (p=0.01) compared to the control group. While positive trends were observed, no significant inter-group differences were found for BMI (p>0.05) or WHR (p=0.095). An eight-week MIIT program effectively elevated plasma subfatin concentration and reduced body fat percentage in sedentary, obese, middle-aged women. These results suggest that MIIT may be a valuable exercise strategy for improving adipokine profile and body composition in this population.

 
 


 

Abstract This study investigated the effects of 4-week Zingiber officinale (ginger) supplementation (1 g/day) on serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) dynamics and fatigue perception in obese women (BMI >30 kg/m²; n=50) following acute eccentric and concentric exercise. Participants were stratified by VO₂max and allocated to: ginger+eccentric (G+E), ginger+concentric (G+C), placebo+eccentric (P+E), placebo+concentric (P+C), or control (no intervention). Following supplementation, participants completed treadmill-based eccentric (-10% to -15% incline) or concentric (+10% to +15% incline) protocols to volitional exhaustion. Fasted venous blood samples quantified serum LDH; fatigue was assessed via Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). ANCOVA with baseline adjustment revealed: Significant LDH elevation post-exercise (η²=0.62, P<0.001), with eccentric > concentric (Δ28.3±6.2 vs. Δ18.5±5.9 U/L; P=0.008). Ginger attenuated LDH vs. placebo (mean reduction: -21.8 U/L, 95% CI: -30.1 to -13.5; P<0.001, η²=0.42), particularly after eccentric exercise (G+E vs. P+E: -24.7 U/L, P=0.002). Non-significant FSS increase overall (η²=0.09, P=0.12), though ginger reduced FSS elevation by 41% vs. placebo (Δ8.7±3.9 vs. Δ14.8±5.2; P=0.07), with strongest attenuation in G+E (-9.3 units; P=0.052). Four-week ginger supplementation significantly mitigates exercise-induced LDH release in obese women, indicating cytoprotective effects against muscular stress. While fatigue modulation was statistically non-significant, clinically relevant attenuation trends suggest potential ergogenic benefits requiring further investigation.

Abstract Osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) syndrome significantly impacts hepatic disorders more than each of the tissues alone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of elastic resistance training modality on hepatic health markers, including fatty liver index (FLI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), and Framingham steatosis index (FSI)), in the elderly with OSA. Sixty-three eligible patients aged 60-80 years meet the inclusion criteria, including a) body fat percentage (BFP) ≥32%; b) body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m²; c) T-score of L1-L4, and/or total femur or femoral neck -2.5≤T-score ≤-1.0; d) gait speed (10-meter walk test (10MWT) ≤1 (m/s²); and e) skeletal muscle index (SMI) ≤28% or ≤7.76 kg/m². The participants were randomly assigned to experimental (n=32) or control (n=31) groups. The experimental group completed a 12-week elastic-band resistance training program [3x/week; 60 min/session]. The results showed a statistically significant benefit from the elastic-band resistance training on LAP (P=0.033), FLI (P=0.001), HSI (P=0.008), and FSI (P=0.001). Our findings show that an elastic-band resistance exercise training program can improve hepatic function. This relatively low-cost, highly accessible form of exercise can be easily implemented to enhance the health of this population across a wide range of settings.

Abstract Green tea polyphenols have been suggested to exert anti-inflammatory actions in in vivo and in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of green tea extract (GTE) supplementation on pro-inflammatory cytokines during a single bout of resistance exercise (RE) in obese men. Participants were ten obese men who participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (PL) crossover study, administered 14-day GTE (500 mg/day) supplementation and PL with a 14-day washout period. After the supplementation periods, the participants performed the RE protocol, consisting of three sets of six exercises, to failure at 75% of one repetition maximum (1RM) and 2 min rest between sets. The serum samples were collected pre- and post-RE and analyzed for TNF-α, IL-1α, and IFN-γ. RE significantly increased TNF-α and IL-1α in obese men by 15% (p=0.043) and 18.71% (p=0.003) above the pre-RE values in the PL condition, respectively. However, GTE supplementation inhibited acute RE-induced increases in the TNF-α and IL-1α levels in obese men. Moreover, changes in the IFN-γ level during RE tended to be lower in GTE compared to the PL condition. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that 14-day GTE supplementation offers protection against RE-induced increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines in obese men. These immunomodulatory effects of GTE may be, in part, due to the anti-inflammatory properties of GTE in obese men that can be considered as a potential therapeutic factor to ameliorate obesity-associated inflammation.

Abstract Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two continuous aerobic training and high-intensity interval training on body weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and body fat percentage in overweight and obese military people. In this quasi-experimental study, 30 overweight or obese military personnel stationed in a military center were divided into two equal groups of 15 subjects within continuous aerobic training group and high-intensity interval training group. The training protocol consisted of six weeks of continuous aerobic training and high intensity interval training performed every week for three sessions and each session for 60 minutes with equal intensity. The research variables included body weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio and body fat percentage, which were measured in the same and standard conditions in two stages of pre-test and post-test. After 6 weeks of intervention, high-intensity interval training group showed a significant reduction in body mass index, waist-hip ratio and body fat percentage compared to the continuous aerobic training group(P<0.05). However, there was no significant change in the body weight of the subjects (P<0.05). The results of this study showed that the high-intensity interval training protocol had a greater effect on the body composition parameters of the subjects compared to the continuing aerobic exercise protocol, so it could be included in the training program for overweight or obese military persons.

Abstract The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Implementing social distancing policy measures, such as the stay-at-home order, to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) not only has affected lifestyles and weights in children but has also created an obesity-inducing environment, leading to modifications in the patterns of interactions between this age group and their surrounding environment. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic has been effective in childhood obesity and its prevalence rate may continue increasing. This narrative review aimed to synthesize evidence from global studies on physical inactivity, and obesity among children and adolescents during COVID-19, and then prescribe an evidence-based home exercise guideline for this age group. The study findings revealed that the COVID-19 restrictions have drastically multiplied physical inactivity and obesity in children. It has been further established that childhood obesity leads to numerous chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), psychosomatic disorders, lung diseases, and other metabolic problems in childhood and even as children grow up. Physical activity/exercise at home during and after COVID-19 has been correspondingly demonstrated to mitigate the problems associated with obesity. A wide range of resistance, aerobic, balance, flexibility and other types of exercises have been accordingly shown to protect against the negative effects of the pandemic on child health. Hence, efforts to facilitate such exercises are suggested to continue and be scaled up to prevent childhood obesity and relevant diseases during and after this unusual period.

Abstract Dear Editor-in-Chief
In recent years, exercise has been called an ‘amazing’ medicine and a ‘miracle’ cure. Scientific research shows that regular exercise is effective in preventing and treating many common diseases, including type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, heart disease, some cancers, and other common diseases (Fang et al., 2022). In fact, exercise in a specific dose and formula is prescribed for each patient who is diagnosed with the disease. The prescription should be very clear in terms of modality, intensity, frequency, and duration.
In this regard, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has launched the "Exercise is Medicine" project to recognize the myriad health benefits of exercise. These include reducing the incidence of a number of different cancers, lowering the risk of excessive weight gain (along with related health problems as well as diabetes), and improving cardiovascular health (as well as reducing the risk of high blood pressure in addition to heart stroke) (Ghardashi-Afousi et al., 2018).
The acute effect of exercise has been shown to lead to a transient decrease in triglyceride levels, an increase in HDL cholesterol levels, a decrease in blood pressure, a decrease in insulin resistance, and an improvement in glucose control. Regular exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain which improves memory and mental function. It also increases the production of a number of hormones that stimulate the growth of brain cells (Ueno-Pardi et al., 2022).
In addition, some literature describes exercise even better than medicine. For example, a review of more than 300 randomized controlled trials found that exercise was as effective as drugs at risk for heart disease and diabetes, and more effective than post-stroke rehabilitation drugs (Naci & Ioannidis, 2013).
It has previously been suggested that vaccinating children with exercise can control the obesity epidemic in them. Recently, in the coronavirus outbreak, exercise has been referred to as a vaccine or vaccine adjuvant (Naci & Ioannidis, 2013). A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) suggests that routine activities may protect people with COVID-19 from serious illness.
Evidence suggests that exercise and obesity are involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease and vaccine efficacy. Regular exercise has been shown to exert immune regulatory effects, control viral gateway, modulate inflammation, stimulate NO production pathways, and control oxidative stress. Adaptation to ordinary exercise seems to affect immune function, particularly innate and adaptive immunity, and ameliorate humoral immunity with enhanced vaccination responses. Exercise may at least partially reduce the detrimental effect of SARS-CoV-2 binding to the ECA2 receptor. Exercise training can activate anti-inflammatory signaling pathways (Shirvani & Rostamkhani, 2020). Today, COVID-19 vaccination has shown that individuals who exercise continuously and regularly may develop higher antibody titers to the SARS-CoV-2 strain contained in the vaccine compared to individuals who do not exercise (Hallam et al., 2022).
On the other hand, understanding how obesity and adiposity affect immunity and more specifically the production and function of antibodies is of great importance (Malavazos et al., 2020). Numerous studies have shown the effect of obesity on antibody properties. For example, adaptive immune responses to influenza virus are impaired during obesity, innate and adaptive immune responses to influenza are delayed in obese patients, and obesity was suggested to decline influenza antibody titers following influenza vaccination and reduce vaccine efficacy with poor vaccine immunization. In the same manner, lower COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-induced antibody titers have been related to central obesity and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Ghanemi et al., 2021).     
In general, recent research on the Covid-19 epidemic has shown that exercise is not only a wonderful medicine in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, but also regular exercise can act as an adjunct vaccine. Therefore, prescribing exercise will always help promote community health and is completely in line with the P4 medicine approach (predictive, preventative, personalized, and participatory).

Abstract Dear Editor-in-Chief
Overweight and obesity are considered as the most important lifestyle-related diseases today such that they are known as the fifth leading causes of death worldwide according to the published statistics. Moreover, as previous studies have shown, low-grade chronic inflammation is among the symptoms of these diseases and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of various physical problems and chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases (Safaei et al., 2021).
Meanwhile, new evidence suggests that leucine-rich α 2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) proinflammatory factor, an important upstream signaling pathway of transforming growth factor_⁃β (TGF_⁃β), will cause several pathological processes (Zou et al., 2022). In other words, it can be stated that LRG1, alone or in combination with other known factors, is considered as a potential biomarker for inflammation and obesity. There is a positive relationship between high levels of LRG1 and obesity, while low levels of plasma LRG1 predict weight loss in surgery for obesity and metabolic diseases (Pek et al., 2018). Investigation of the importance and the relationship of this issue in a broad study on 2,058 patients with type 2 diabetes showed that higher plasma LRG1 levels in women than men have a significant relationship with several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, namely arterial stiffness, endothelial dysfunction, systolic blood pressure, obesity, kidney disease, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Pek et al., 2018; Zou et al., 2022). A recent 8-year longitudinal study also found that pigment epithelial-derived factor and plasma LRG1 mediated the inverse relationship between skeletal muscle mass and chronic kidney disease progression in patients with type 2 diabetes (Low et al., 2021). In other words, there is a positive correlation between high LRG1 levels in blood serum and adipose stores and high levels of body-mass-index (BMI), visceral adipose tissue, and waist circumference of obese people. According to these results and laboratory observations, LRG1 has been assumed to increase fat accumulation via suppression of fatty acids catabolism and inducing lipid biosynthesis through sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 activation or may enable hyperglycemia by decreasing expression of insulin receptor substrates (IRS1 and IRS2) (He et al., 2021).
On the other hand, consistent with the findings of studies showing the high serum levels of LRG1, it is possible that LRG1 binds preferentially to liver cells. With this assumption, LRG1 is considered a new adipokine that can play a role in obesity conditions by regulating an almost unique cross-talk between adipose tissue and the liver. More broad research is required to know whether LRG1 also exerts metabolic functions in physiological circumstances or not. However, the results of a study on LRG1 knockout mice with a high-fat diet revealed weight loss, smaller fat cell size, and preservation of brown adipose tissue in this type of mice. In other words, an increase in LRG1 gene expression during the process of fat lipogenesis can play an important role in regulating energy homeostasis (He et al., 2021; MacCannell et al., 2021). However, changing lifestyle by performing regular physical activity and a balanced diet have been introduced as a useful solution to prevent obesity. In this regard, a recent study on the elderly with an average BMI of 34 ± 1 kg / m2 showed that exercise combined with diet resulted in an 8-10 % weight loss in these individuals, indicating the possibility that molecular changes in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) pathway can help transport fat and oxidize it in the skeletal muscles of older and obese people and in some ways regulate insulin resistance (Mulya et al., 2017).
Previous research studies have referred to the key role of PGC-1α in regulating mitochondrial function and helping regulate cellular energy status by enabling cellular energy in conditions 
when the body needs energy, such as fasting, performing exercise activities, or inhibiting it when the body has enough energy available. However, the evidence obtained regarding the role of PGC-1α and its relationship with LRG1 gene expression in obesity therapy showed that LRG1 expression in white adipose tissue reduced in mice model of insulin - resistant type II diabetes and obesity following treatment with PPARγ agonists (Muise et al., 2008). Moreover, evidence regarding the positive effects of exercise activity and the role of PGC-1α showed that probably five proteins, including interleukin 15 (IL-15), fibronectin type III domain- containing protein 5 (FNDC5), vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B), LRG1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 4 (TIMP4), secreted in skeletal muscles, increase following endurance exercise activity and contribute to longevity as well (Boström et al., 2012).
Considering the evidence presented, LRG1 seems to play a key role in the pathogenesis of obesity. However, more broad research is required to better understand its relationship with other transcription factors, vital signaling pathways in this process, as well as the important effect of type, intensity, and duration of exercise activity, and type of diet in regulating its expression and its regulatory role in cross-talk with other organs to prevent obesity (Yang et al., 2021).