Open AccessLeisure‐Time Physical Activity and Reduced Plasma Levels of Obesity‐Related Inflammatory Markers
Author(s) -
Pischon Tobias,
Hankinson Susan E.,
Hotamisligil Gökhan S.,
Rifai Nader,
Rimm Eric B.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
obesity research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1550-8528
pISSN - 1071-7323
DOI - 10.1038/oby.2003.145
Subject(s) - medicine , leptin , inflammation , obesity , c reactive protein , endocrinology , body mass index , insulin , diabetes mellitus , interleukin 6 , prospective cohort study , insulin resistance , tumor necrosis factor alpha , type 2 diabetes
Objective : This study investigated the relationship between physical activity and the obesity‐related inflammatory markers C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNF‐Rs) 1 and 2. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between physical activity and insulin sensitivity (insulin, C‐peptide, and hemoglobin A 1c levels) and whether inflammatory markers mediate this association. Research Methods and Procedures : Biomarkers were measured in 405 healthy men and 454 healthy women from two large ongoing prospective studies. Information about physical activity and other variables was assessed by questionnaires. Results : After adjustment for other predictors of inflammation, physical activity was inversely associated with plasma levels of sTNF‐R1, sTNF‐R2, interleukin‐6, and C‐reactive protein ( p = 0.07, p = 0.004, p = 0.04, and p = 0.009). After further adjustment for BMI and leptin, as a surrogate for fat mass, most of these associations were no longer significant. Physical activity was also inversely related to insulin and C‐peptide levels ( p = 0.008 and p < 0.001); however, in contrast to BMI and leptin, levels of inflammatory markers explained only very little of this inverse relationship. Discussion : These results suggest that frequent physical activity is associated with lower systemic inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity. These associations can partially be explained by a lower degree of obesity in physically active subjects. Although inflammatory markers may mediate obesity‐dependent effects of physical activity on inflammatory related diseases such as type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease, our study suggests that they do not directly account for the beneficial effects of physical activity on insulin resistance.