Review of the Correlation Between Thigh Circumference and Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, the Exercise Intervention Method for Increasing the Thigh Circumference

Abstract

Metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are associated with dysfunction of glucose metabolism. Thigh circumference reflect body muscle mass and peripheral subcutaneous fat. Based on previous studies, thigh circumference is associated with reduced cardiometabolic dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to investigate the correlation between cardiometabolic dysfunction and thigh circumference, and to provide guidelines for exercise intervention methods for increasing thigh circumference. METHODS: In this review, we summarized previous studies investigating the correlation between the thigh circumference and cardiometabolic disease and also examined the previous study about the change of thigh circumference by exercise. RESULTS: The skeletal muscles that constitute the human thigh have a positive effect on glucose metabolism, and the subcutaneous fat constituting the thighs also plays a positive role in the body, unlike the visceral fat of the abdomen. In the case of women, inconsistent results were observed in the thigh circumference by exercise intervention, whereas significant results were found in men with increased thigh circumference by exercise intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise-induced increase in thigh circumference may have a positive impact on lowering the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, there were some limitations in the study of previous studies on the change of thigh circumference by the exercise intervention. It seems that gender-associated differences exist in the thigh circumference by exercise training. Therefore, additional studies on effective exercise interventions for increasing thigh circumference may be necessary.