The Effect of a Session of High-Intensity Functional Exercise on Serum Levels of Asprosin and BDNF and Their Relationship with Serum Levels of Glucose and HbA1c in Elderly Diabetic Men and Women

BDNF decrease, and HbA1c and Asprosin increase in diabetic people and exercise can reverse these effects, but the effect of vigorous exercise on Asprosin and BDNF in elderly diabetic people have not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high-intensity functional exercise on Asprosin and BDNF and their relationship with glucose and HbA1c in elderly diabetic men and women.

In this semi-experimental study, 24 elderly diabetic men and women (age: 67.25 ± 5.84, BM: 70.29 ± 13.01, height: 160.92 ± 10.29) participated. The initial blood sample was taken while fasting. After 90 minutes, the subjects performed the exercise for 50 minutes. The second blood sample was taken 10 minutes after the high-intensity functional exercise. BDNF, Asprosin, HbA1c, and glucose levels were measured by ELISA method. To analyze the data, T-tests, covariance and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used.

Asprosin and BDNF decreased (P< 0.0005) and increased (P< 0.0005), respectively in both groups. There was no significant difference between Asprosin and BDNF in elderly diabetic men and women in pre-test and post-test (P> 0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between BDNF with Asprosin, HbA1c and glucose and a significant positive correlation between Asprosin with HbA1c and glucose (P< 0.05).

Vigorous exercise decrease and increase Asprosin and BDNF in elderly diabetic men and women, respectively. Also, considering the significant negative relationship between BDNF with glucose and HbA1c and the significant positive relationship between Asprosin with glucose and HbA1c, it seems that vigorous exercise by reversing the changes of asprosin and BDNF causes possible improvement in levels of glucose and HbA1c.