Long-term effects of aerobic plus resistance training on the adipokines and neuropeptides in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease obese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of aerobic training (AT) with aerobic plus resistance training (AT+RT) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) obese adolescents.

DESIGN

Long-term interdisciplinary weight-loss therapy (1 year of clinical, nutritional, psychological, and exercise-related intervention).

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-eight postpubertal obese adolescents were randomized to AT or AT+RT according to NAFLD diagnosis. Adipokine and neuropeptide concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, visceral fat by ultrasound, and body composition by plethysmography.

RESULTS

The NAFLD group that followed the AT+RT protocol presented lower insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and alanine transaminase (ALT) values after intervention compared with AT. It was verified that there was a higher magnitude of change in the subcutaneous fat, glycemia, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, ALT, and adiponectin in response to AT+RT than in the control group (AT). All patients who underwent the AT+RT exhibited significantly higher adiponectin, leptin, and Δadiponectin and lower melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) concentrations after therapy compared with the AT group. In the simple linear regression analysis, changes in glycemia, insulin, and HOMA-IR were independent predictors of significant improvement in adiponectin concentration. Indeed, ΔAST (aspartate transaminase) and ΔGGT (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase) were independent predictors of ΔALT, while Δfat mass and ΔAgRP (agouti-related protein) were independent predictors of ΔMCH. Although the number of patients was limited, we showed for the first time the positive effects of AT+RT protocol in a long-term interdisciplinary therapy to improve inflammatory biomarkers and to reduce orexigenic neuropeptide concentrations in NAFLD obese adolescents.

CONCLUSION

The long-term interdisciplinary therapy with AT+RT protocol was more effective in significantly improving noninvasive biomarkers of NAFLD that are associated with the highest risk of disease progression in the pediatric population.