| Abstrakt: |
Purpose: In this study, we examined different regular exercisers' abdominal fat distribution and relationships between serum leptin levels and the abdominal fat distribution. In addition, determining whether the waist (WC) and hip circumferences (HC) were related to the abdominal fat distribution in regular exercisers was another goal of this study. Method: runners (R, n=12) and swimmers (S, n=9), who exercised at least 5 times/week for 30 minutes/time and for at least 3 years, participated in this study. In addition, sedentary individuals (n=10), who exercised less than once/week and > 30 minutes/per time, served as a control group (C). All participants had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan for the abdominal fat distribution, blood analysis for leptin and measurements of WC, HC and body-mass index (BMI). Results: On the basis of BMImatching, the R group's abdominal visceral fat (0.4±0.3L) was less than those of the S and C groups (0.8±0.2L and 0.9±0.3L, respectively), and no significant differences in abdominal subcutaneous fat or serum leptin levels were evident among these three groups. The relationships between serum leptin and the abdominal fat distribution differed in the R and S groups. In the measurement of body circumference and abdominal fat distribution, WC was significantly related to abdominal subcutaneous fat among the three groups. Conclusions: Taking regular exercise can cause a decrease in the visceral fat accumulation, especially for people who are regular runners. The WC can be used to predict the abdominal subcutaneous fat of exercisers. Further studies are required in the future to determine the contribution of abdominal fat to serum leptin in exercisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
