Circulating ghrelin is sensitive to changes in body weight during a diet and exercise program in normal-weight young women.
Ghrelin is directly involved with short-term regulation of energy balance. Although circulating levels of ghrelin are elevated in anorexia nervosa and reduced in obesity, the role of ghrelin in regulating long-term energy balance in healthy women has not been investigated. We examined the effects of a 3-month energy deficit-imposing diet and exercise intervention on circulating ghrelin in normal-weight, healthy women. Body composition, resting metabolic rate, and serum ghrelin were measured at pre-, mid-, and postintervention in controls (n = 7), who performed no exercise, and exercising women who remained weight stable (n = 5) or lost weight (n = 10). Exercise training occurred five times per week, and subjects were fed a specific diet. Ghrelin significantly increased over time (770 +/- 296 to 1322 +/- 664 pmol/liter) in the weight-loss group compared with the controls and the weight-stable group (P < 0.05). Changes in ghrelin were negatively correlated with changes in body weight (r = -0.61; P < 0.05). Body fat, body weight, and resting metabolic rate significantly decreased in the weight-loss group before the increase in ghrelin. These findings suggest that ghrelin responds in a compensatory manner to changes in energy homeostasis in healthy young women, and that ghrelin exhibits particular sensitivity to changes in body weight.
Leidy
H J
HJ
Noll Physiological Research Center and the Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Gardner
J K
JK
Frye
B R
BR
Snook
M L
ML
Schuchert
M K
MK
Richard
E L
EL
Williams
N I
NI
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones