Damian Skrypnik

Effects of Endurance and Endurance Strength Training on Body Composition and Physical Capacity in Women with Abdominal Obesity.

Aims: To compare the effects of endurance training with endurance strength training on the anthropometric, body composition, physical capacity, and circulatory parameters in obese women. Methods: 44 women with abdominal obesity were randomized into groups A and B, and asked to perform endurance (A) and endurance strength training (B) for 3 months, 3 times/week, for 60 min. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and Graded Exercise Test were performed before and after training. Results: Significant decreases in body mass, BMI, total body fat, total body fat mass, and waist and hip circumference were observed after both types of intervention. Marked increases in total body lean and total body fat-free mass were documented in group B. In both groups, significant increases in peak oxygen uptake, time to exhaustion, maximal work rate, and work rate at ventilatory threshold were accompanied by noticeably decreased resting heart rate, resting systolic blood pressure, and resting and exercise diastolic blood pressure. No significant differences were noticed between groups for the investigated parameters. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate evidence for a favorable and comparable effect of 3-month endurance and endurance strength training on anthropometric parameters, body composition, physical capacity, and circulatory system function in women with abdominal obesity.

Effects of green tea supplementation on inflammation markers, antioxidant status and blood pressure in NaCl-induced hypertensive rat model

ABSTRACT Background: Recent studies indicate the important role of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Green tea, due to the high content of catechins, shows high antioxidant activity. Objective: To determine the effect of supplementation with green tea extract on the blood pressure, on the concentration of selected parameters of inflammation and antioxidant status in the model of high-sodium-diet induced hypertension. Design: The study lasted 42 days. The experimental population consisted of 30 rats. The rats were divided into three groups. The rats in the control group were fed a standard diet with 35 g of NaCl per kg of diet, in the second group hypertensive rats were fed a standard diet with NaCl (35 g/kg diet) and with an extract of green tea (2 g/kg diet). The third group consisted of hypertensive rats fed a standard diet with NaCl (35 g/kg diet), and 4 g of green tea extract/kg diet. Results: Supplementation with green tea had no effect on body mass of rats on a high-sodium diet. At the end of the experiment systolic blood pressures in SH2 and SH4 groups were significantly lower than in the control group SK. The SH4 group was characterized by a significantly lower diastolic blood pressure value and concentration of TNF-α in comparison to the SK group. The rats from both SH2 and SH4 groups were characterized by higher total antioxidant status values compared to the control group. Discussion: The mechanism of the beneficial effects of green tea on blood pressure is not clear, but it is believed that it is related to its omnidirectional properties. Conclusions: Supplementation of green tea has a beneficial effect on blood pressure, markers of inflammation and antioxidant status in an experimental model of hypertension.

The genetic basis of obesity complications

Intensive research is currently being performed into the genetic background of excess body mass compli- cations such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, especially atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Chronic inflammation is an important process in the pathogenesis of obesity, wherein there is an aberrant ex- pression of genes encoding adipokines. Visceral tissue is characterized by a higher expression and secretion of interleukin-8, interleukin-1ß and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in the subcutaneous tissue secretion of leptin prevails. An important complication of obesity is obstructive sleep apnea, often observed in Prader- Willi syndrome. The genetic background of sleep apnea may be a polymorphism of the SREBF1 gene. The consequence of excess body mass is metabolic syndrome, which may be related to the occurrence of the rs926198 variant of gene encoding caveolin-1. The genes of transcription factor TCF7L2 and PPAR-γ2 take part in the pathogenesis of diabetes development. It has been demonstrated that oncogenes FOS, FOSB, and JUN may be co-responsible not only for obesity but also for osteoporosis and colorectal cancer. It has been shown that weight loss causes a modification in the expression of about 100 genes involvedt in the production of substances such as cytokines and other responsible for chronic inflammation in obesity. In future studies on the complications of obesity, such scientific disciplines as proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics should be used. The aim of this study is to present the current state of knowledge about the genetic basis of obesity complications.

Effects of endurance and endurance-strength exercise on biochemical parameters of liver function in women with abdominal obesity.

INTRODUCTION Obesity is a risk factor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Although the standard therapy for obesity involves physical exercise, well-planned studies of the changes in liver function in response to different exercise intensities in obese subjects are scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine a question of how does exercise mode affect the liver function. MATERIAL AND METHODS 44 women with abdominal obesity were randomized into two exercise groups: endurance (group A) and endurance-strength (group B). Women in each group exercised for 60min 3 times/week for a 3-month period. Markers of liver function: serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and bilirubin levels were quantified. RESULTS We found significant differences in ALT (p<0.01) and AST (p<0.05) activities between group A and B after training exercise. Blood ALT and AST tended to decrease in group B, increase in group A. Significant reduction in serum GGT level after exercise in both groups was observed (p<0.001, group A; p<0.01, group B). Neither endurance nor endurance-strength exercise led to changes in serum ALP activity and total or direct bilirubin level. However, endurance-strength training resulted in significant decreases in serum indirect bilirubin (p<0.05). Strong positive correlations between serum indirect bilirubin and body mass (r=0.615; p=0.0085) and BMI (r=0.576; p=0.0154) were found after endurance-strength exercise (group B). CONCLUSION The mode of exercise does matter: endurance-strength exercise led to a greater improvement, compared to endurance exercise, in the liver function in women with abdominal obesity.

Two Aerobic Exercise Programs in Management of Back Pain Among Middle-Aged Obese Women: A Randomized Controlled Study

Purpose. Back pain is a frequent symptom in the obese. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two training programs on the reduction of back pain among obese women. Methods. The study included 30 obese women who reported back pain within 3 months preceding enrollment. The subjects were randomly allocated to endurance or endurance/resistance physical exercise. The intensity of the exercise was adjusted to 50–80% of Hrmax. Back pain intensity, muscle strength of knee flexors and extensors, body balance and body composition were measured before and after training. Results. Both the endurance and endurance/resistance training exerted positive effect on back pain (p < 0.05). Similarly, in both training groups the significant increase in the strength of knee flexors and marked reduction of body fatness (p < 0.001 for all) was documented. However, the interventions’ efficacies in selected groups did not differ. Conclusions. Both endurance and combined endurance/resistance training exert positive effect in decreasing back pain and improving functional fitness of obese women. Therefore, both forms of training may be recommended for individuals dealing with the abovementioned problems.