Exercise Training Promotes a GDF15 Associated Reduction in Fat Mass in Older Adults with Obesity.

Exercise Training Promotes a GDF15 Associated Reduction in Fat Mass in Older Adults with Obesity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Mar 12;: Authors: Zhang H, Fealy CE, Kirwan JP Abstract Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic disease. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has shown promise as a weight loss agent for obesity in animal studies. In healthy lean humans, fasting plasma GDF15 increases after acute exercise. However, the role of GDF15 in human obesity, and the response of plasma GDF15 to exercise training in obese patients is unknown. Here, twenty-four sedentary, obese volunteers (age: 65 ± 1 yr; BMI: 35.3 ± 0.9 kg/m2) participated in a supervised 12-wk aerobic exercise intervention: 1hr/day, 5 days/wk at ~85% HRmax with controlled isocaloric diet. As a result, plasma GDF15 was significantly increased (PRE: 644.1 ± 42.6, POST: 704.4 ± 47.2, pg/ml, P<0.01) after the exercise intervention. Inconsistent with animal models, ΔGDF15 was not correlated with change in weight, BMI, or resting energy expenditure. However, ΔGDF15 was correlated with a reduction in total fat mass ( P<0.05), abdominal fat mass ( P<0.05), and android fat mass ( P≤0.05). Participants with a positive GDF15 response to exercise had increased total fat oxidation (PRE: 0.25 ± 0.05, POST: 0.43 ± 0.07, mg/kg/min, P≤0.05), metabolic flexibility (PRE: -0.01 ± 0.01, POST: 0.06 ± 0.01, delta RQ, P<0.001), and insulin sensitivit...
Source: Am J Physiol Endocri... - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab Source Type: research