Background. Exercise is recognized to evoke multisystemic adaptations that, particularly in obese subjects, reduce body weight, improve gluco-metabolic control, counteract sarcopenia and lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of exercise-induced benefits is of great interest due to the therapeutic implications against obesity.Objectives and methods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate time-related changes in size distribution and cell origin of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obese and normal-weight subjects who underwent a moderate-intensity exercise on a treadmill (at 60% of their VO2max). Blood samples were drawn before, immediately at the end of the exercise and during the post-exercise recovery period (3h and 24h). Circulating EVs were analyzed by a nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow cytometry after labeling with the following cellspecific markers: CD14 (monocyte/macrophage), CD61 (platelet), CD62E (activated endothelium), CD105 (total endothelium), SCGA (skeletal muscle) and FABP (adipose tissue).Results. In all subjects, acute exercise reduced the release of total (i.e., 30-700 nm) EVs in circulation, predominantly EVs in the microvesicle size range (i.e., 130-700 nm EVs). The post-exercise release of microvesicles was higher in normal-weight than obese subjects; after exercise, circulating levels of exosomes (i.e., 30-130 nm EVs) and microvesicles were, respectively, lower and higher in females than males. In all experimental subgroups (males vs. females and obese vs. normal-weight subjects), acute exercise reduced and increased, respectively, CD61+ and SCGA+ EVs, being the effect on CD61+ EVs prolonged up to 24h after the end of the test with subjects in resting conditions. Total EVs, exosomes and CD61+ EVs were associated with HOMA-IR.Conclusions. Though preliminary, the results of the present study show that a single bout of acute exercise modulates the release of EVs in circulation, which are tissue-, sex-and BMI specific, suggesting that the exercise-related benefits might depend upon a complex interaction of tissue, endocrine, and metabolic factors.