The Effects of a High-Intensity Interval Training on Plasma Levels of Orexin-A and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Women

Orexin is a hormone involved inoverweight and obesity and a regulator of glucose metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on plasma levels of orexin-A (OXA) and insulin resistance in overweight women. In a semi-experimental study, 24 overweight women (aged 20-25 years; body mass index (BMI), 25-30 kg/m2) were divided into 2 groups, namely, a control (n=12) and a training (n=12) group. The training group performed selective HIIT including 6 movements for 6 weeks (3 sessions/week). Initial and final blood markers were measured in blood samples collected 24 hours after the test. The data were analyzed using the paired and independent sample t-tests; a p<0.05 was considered to show statistical significance. There were no statistically significant differences between body weight, BMI, plasma levels of glucose, insulin and insulin resistance before and after the period in either the training or control group (p>0.05). Neither were there any significant differences between the training and control groups after the 6-week period as regards plasma levels of glucose, insulin, OXA or insulin resistance (p>0.05). The findings of this study show that a 6-week high-intensity interval training has no influence on plasma OXA or insulin resistance in overweight women.