Effect of Aerobic Training and C. vulgaris Intake on Lipid Profile and Leptin in Obese Women

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity can reduce the complications of obesity. Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) is recognized as a rich source of health promotion. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerobic training and C. vulgaris intake on lipid profile and leptin in obese women. Methods: We randomly divided 32 obese women into control (C), aerobic training (AT), C. vulgaris (CV), and aerobic training plus C. vulgaris (AT+CV) groups. Interventions were performed for eight weeks. C. vulgaris was used at the dose of 1200 mg/day. The aerobic training included activities on a treadmill with 65%-80% of maximum heart rate (MHR) (three sessions/week). Blood samples were taken before and after the interventions. Results: The body weight, body mass index (BMI), leptin, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C significantly improved in the AT and AT+CV groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the AT and AT+CV groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Aerobic training can improve the lipid profile and leptin in obese women by reducing weight, increasing oxygen uptake, and improving lipid oxidation. Nevertheless, the effect of C. vulgaris was not detected individually. However, the effect of training may be due to the modification of exercise-induced responses by C. vulgaris properties. Therefore, there is a need for further investigation of C. vulgaris physiological function in the field of sports medicine.

Adipokine modulation in obesity: Evaluating the integrative impact of chlorella vulgaris supplementation and interval resistance training in obese males

“…Resistance training did not decrease BMI or fat mass in our study of obese males, a finding that could explain the lack of leptin reduction by resistance training. Other studies reported that CV did not mitigate increases in leptin levels in obese mice ( Vecina et al, 2014 ) and obese women ( Karbalamahdi et al, 2019 ). However, a study of patients with T2DM and prediabetes patients reported that the CV intake for 12 months decreased plasma leptin levels ( Martins et al, 2023 ), while another study reported decreases in leptin levels in obese mice treated with Parachlorella beijerinckii , an algae that is also used as a food supplement ( Noguchi et al, 2013 ).…”