Endurance Exercise Training and High-Molecular Weight Adiponectin: the HERITAGE Family Study

Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing and anti-atherosclerotic adipocytokine, exists in different isoforms. The high-molecular weight (HMW) isoform may be more biologically active. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a vigorous-intensity endurance exercise training program on serum HMW adiponectin concentration in a sample of black and white men and women aged 17 to 65 years (n=515). METHODS: Serum HMW adiponectin concentrations from before and after a 20-week exercise program were analyzed via ELISA. RESULTS: When controlling for age, HMW adiponectin concentration before training was not related to VO2max in men or women (r=−0.028 and −0.031, respectively, p>0.05). As we have previously found with total serum adiponectin, the HMW isoform decreased slightly as a result of exercise training (before vs. after: 3.01±0.10 vs. 2.53±0.09, mean±SE, p<0.001). This decrease was significant within each of the four race/sex groups (p=0.04). Baseline HMW adiponectin was related to intra-abdominal and subcutaneous abdominal fat areas and overall body fat mass (r=−0.287, −0.185, and −0.154, respectively, p=0.001). Training-related change in HMW adiponectin was not related to changes in these fat variables (r=−0.058, −0.089, and −0.014, p>0.05). However, significant change relationships were present in black women (r=−0.253, −0.338, and −0.367, p=0.02). HMW adiponectin and insulin sensitivity (derived from minimal modeling after intravenous glucose tolerance testing) were related at baseline (r=0.224, p<0.001), but training−induced changes were not related (r=0.006, p>0.05). At baseline, HMW adiponectin was related to HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (r=0.405 and −0.210, p<0.001). A modest change relationship was present for HDL-cholesterol (r=0.162, p<0.001), but not triglyceride (r=0.027, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum HMW adiponectin concentration did not increase in response to 20 weeks of vigorous-intensity exercise training. Overall, exercise-induced change in HMW adiponectin was not strongly related with changes in other factors associated with cardiometabolic risk. These results largely mirror those of total serum adiponectin previously found in the HERITAGE sample. Funded by the American Heart Association (Mid-Atlantic Affiliate) and multiple grants from NIH-NHLBI.