Abstract

Individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are at greater risk of developing diabetes than in normoglycaemia. Theaim of this study was to examine the effects of 12-weeks exercise training in obese humans with IGT. Eleven participants (6males and 5 females; 49+9 years; mean Body Mass Index (BMI) 32.4 kg m72), completed a 12-week brisk walkingintervention (30 min per day, five days a week (d wk71), at 65% of age-predicted maximal heart rate (HRmax).Anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, pulse wave velocity (PWV, to determine arterial stiffness) and blood pressure(BP) were examined at baseline and post intervention. Fasting blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, insulin, bloodlipids, indices of oxidative stress and inflammation (lipid hydroperoxides; superoxide dismutase; multimeric adiponectinconcentration and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) were also determined. Post intervention, PWV (9.08+1.27 m s71 vs.8.39+1.21 m s71), systolic BP (145.4+14.5 vs. 135.8+14.9 mmHg), triglycerides (1.52+0.53 mmol . L71 vs.1.31+0.54 mmol . L71), lipid hydroperoxides (1.20+0.47 mM L71 vs. 0.79+0.32 mM L71) and anthropometricmeasures decreased significantly (P50.05). Moderate intensity exercise training improves upper limb vascular function inobese humans with IGT, possibly by improving triglyceride metabolism, which may subsequently reduce oxidative stress.These changes were independent of multimeric adiponectin modification and alterations in other blood biomarkers.