Comparing the Effects of Aerobic Exercises of High and Moderate Intensity on Serum Leptin Levels and Capacity of Fat Oxidation among Young Obese Girls

Background & Objective: Overweight and obesity as health issues have now received researchers' attention globally. The present study is a comparative investigation into the impact of two methods of high and moderate aerobic exercises on serum leptin levels and fat oxidation.   Materials & Methods : Fourteen obese females at a mean age of 22.08 ± 6.2 years, body mass of 78 ±12.72 kg, height of 161.34 ± 6.5 cm, fat percentage of 36.46 ± 2.68%, and body mass index of 30 ± 4.77 kg/m2 were randomly selected. The participants were divided into two groups: the high-intensity aerobic training group of 85 - 95% HRmax per 33-minute workout and the moderate-intensity aerobic training group of 50 - 70% HRmax per 41-minute workout. The exercises were carried out on 3 weekdays for 8 weeks at the same energy level. For statistical data analysis, the independent/paired t-test of a = 0.05 was applied.   Results: The results indicated a significant increase in fat oxidation in the high-intensity training group (p value = 0.03) and a considerable decrease in leptin in the moderate-intensity training group (p value = 0.03). In the latter group, a significant fall in the fat percentage coincided with no decrease in leptin (p value = 0.03).   Conclusion: Apparently, moderate-intensity aerobic training not only reduces the fat mass but also impacts the secretion of leptin. However, high-intensity aerobic training increases oxidation potentiality, followed by fat oxidation .