title: Effects of hiking at altitude on body composition and insulin sensitivity in recovering drug addicts.
abstract: In the current study individuals with a history of drug abuse (users of heroin, cocaine, or amphetamine) displayed a 13-100% increase in body weight (self-reported) and exhibited a trend toward insulin resistance. Therefore, we investigated the effects of long-term altitude hiking on insulin sensitivity in this special population. Nine males recovering from drug addiction (ex-addicts) (age 28.7 +/- 1.3 years) and 17 control subjects (age 29 +/- 1.1 years) voluntarily participated in a 25-day hiking activity (altitude 2200-3800 M). On the 25th day of hiking, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin response, lean body mass, fat mass, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were measured in all subjects. After the altitude expedition, insulin levels during the OGTT in ex-addicts were similar to controls, suggesting that insulin sensitivity in this special population was normalized by long-term altitude activity. Along with improvements in insulin sensitivity, a significant reduction in WHR, but small increase in lean body mass, was observed. Twenty-five days of altitude activity significantly reverses hyperinsulinemia in the ex-addicts and this improvement appears to be partially associated with the reduction in central fatness.
authors.affiliation: Committee for General Studies, Shih Hsin University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Wen-Chih
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Jong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Desmond D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Chien-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yu-Chiang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Fang-Ching
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chung-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Chia-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D013739:Testosterone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone