Investigation of serum leptin levels in professional male football players and healthy sedentary males.
OBJECTIVE
In the present study we aimed at investigating leptin levels in professional male athletes who have been exercising regularly for a long time and leptin levels in healthy sedentary males.


METHODS
The study included 10 male professional football players and 17 healthy sedentary males. The relations between groups in terms of leptin levels, Max VO2 levels, blood lactic acid levels before and after exercise and effort durations were investigated.


RESULTS
It was found in the study that although BMI of professional male athletes was higher than that of the healthy sedentary males, leptin levels of the former were significantly lower (p<0.01), while VO2Max levels (p<0.05) and test periods (p<0.01) were significantly higher than those in the latter. As for lactic acid levels after exercise and between groups, these were also higher in athletes, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Leptin levels of those who exercised regularly were found lower than the levels in healthy males. Although the increase in serum leptin levels is in direct proportion with BMI in general, the major determinant of serum leptin level is the body fat rate. As regular exercising reduces body fat rate, it also reduces serum leptin levels.
Unal
Mehmet
M
Istanbul University Istanbul School of Medicine, Department of Sport Medicine, Istanbul-Turkey.
Unal
Durisehvar Ozer
DO
Baltaci
Abdulkerim Kasim
AK
Mogulkoc
Rasim
R
Kayserilioglu
Abidin
A
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
D020738:Leptin