Effect of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on visceral and subcutaneous levels of Leptin and plasma insulin and glucose in Wistar male Rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on visceral and subcutaneous levels of leptin, plasma glucose and insulin levels in male Wistar rats. 20 male rats (mean age: 8 week and mean weight: 190±10 gr) randomly divided into resistance training (n=7), HIIT (n=7) training and control (n=6) groups. Training program continued for 5 weeks (5 sessions/week). Training program consisted of running on treadmill with incremental increase in intensity of 37-52 meters per minute, 6-12 two minute bouts with 1 minute rest between the bouts. 72 hours after last training session and in fasting condition, rats were sacrificed and subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue were removed. The samples were freezed and maintained at -80 C° for subsequent tests. We used independent T-test for data analysis. The results showed significant variations in visceral and subcutaneous levels of leptin and plasma levels of insulin between the training and control groups (p<0.05). But, the variation in glucose levels between the training and control groups was not significant (p>0.05). The results of this study showed that HIIT decreased visceral and subcutaneous levels of leptin, and reduced the risk factors associated with obesity. HIIT also reduced plasma insulin and glucose levels which can lead to decreased insulin resistance.