Effect of 8 weeks of resistance training and supplementation of cinnamon on plasma levels of leptin and adiponectin in overweight women

Obesity is associated with many health problems, including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cinnamon supplementation with resistance training on plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin in overweight women.

Forty overweight women were divided into 4 groups (n=10) including resistance training +cinnamon supplementation, resistance training, cinnamon supplementation and control groups. Experimental group performed resistance exercises for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week up to 60-80 percent of one repetition maximum. The subjects in the resistance training +cinnamon supplementation and cinnamon supplementation groups, received 7 mg of cinnamon powder per kg of body weight three times a day. Blood samples as serum leptin and adiponectin levels were taken before and also 48 hours after the last exercise session of the protocol. For statistical analysis, the paired t-test and covariance test were used to examine the difference between groups at the significant level of p≤0.05.

The result indicated significant decreases in leptin levels and increases of the adiponectin level in resistance training groups + cinnamon intake (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 respectively), resistance training group (p < 0.01) and cinnamon supplement (p < 0.01 and p < 0.02 respectively). Moreover, there was no significant differences between the effect of cinnamon supplementation on leptin (p < 0.07) and adiponectin (p < 0.24); but resistance training + cinnamon supplementation showed higher decreasing in leptin (p < 0.01) and more increasing in adiponectin levels (p < 0.01) compared to resistance training and cinnamon supplementation alone.

Regular resistance training along with supplementation of cinnamon can reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving the levels of leptin and adiponectin and it can be used as an effective non-pharmacological treatment to prevent these diseases.