title: The effects of exercise training under mild hypoxic conditions on body composition and circulating adiponectin in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise training under mild hypoxic conditions on body composition and circulating adiponectin levels in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen postmenopausal women (56 ± 1 years) were assigned to a normoxic (N group) or hypoxic (H group) exercise group. Aquatic exercise training was performed at an intensity of 50% peak oxygen uptake level for 30 min per training session, 4 days per week, for 8 weeks. The H group performed the exercise under hypobaric hypoxic conditions, which corresponds to 2000 m above sea level, and each participant was exposed to these conditions for 2 h per session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the training, no significant changes were observed in any of the measured values for the N group. Conversely, body mass (57·3 ± 2·5 to 54·5 ± 2·3 kg), body mass index (24·6 ± 0·8 to 23·4 ± 0·7 kg m-2), body fat (30·7 ± 1·9 to 28·1 ± 1·6%) and preperitoneal fat thickness as an index of visceral fat accumulation (10·3 ± 1·7 to 6·4 ± 1·0 mm) significantly reduced only in the H group. Circulating adiponectin levels significantly increased (9·5 ± 1·8 to 11·4 ± 2·0 μg ml-1), and the changes in adiponectin were significantly correlated with those in body mass (r = -0·81) and body mass index (r = -0·85).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that exercise training under mild hypoxic conditions could more effectively reduce body fat and increase adiponectin levels in postmenopausal women in a shorter period, than exercise training in normoxia.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Exercise, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Life Sciences, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Life Sciences, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan. ogita@nifs-k.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ogita
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D050154:Adiposity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007101:Immersion; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000503:physiopathology; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: adipokines; body fat; exercise; hypoxia; prescription; training