Association of Different Genotypes of VEGF Gene with Changes in Aerobic Capacity Following Endurance Training in Obese Women

Objective: Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by an excessive mass of adipose tissue in the body. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between different genotypes of VEGF gene and changes in aerobic capacity following aerobic exercise in obese women. Materials and Methods: In this study, 23 inactive women aged 34 to 43 years with BMI 30 and 35 were purposefully selected and participated in eight weeks of aerobic exercise including 4 sessions per week and 30 minutes per session with an intensity of 55 to 75% of maximum heart rate. Before and after the training period, aerobic power (VO2max) was measured by the modified Bruce test. Saliva Sample was collected at 12 hours of fasting to measure VEGF genotypes. To compare aerobic capacity between different genotypes, since we had three genotypes GG, CG, and CC, one-way analysis of variance was used. Results: Although the mean amount of aerobic power changes of GG genotype was somewhat higher after eight weeks of aerobic training than the other two genotypes, this difference was not significant. (P-value= 0.663, P-value= 0.873 and P-value= 0.173, respectively). Conclusion: Eight weeks of aerobic training leads to increased aerobic capacity in obese women and increased VEGF plays a role, but there is not seemingly a difference between different VEGF genotypes for these changes. In any case, since this study was conducted for the first time, we need more studies to draw a more accurate conclusion.