The effect of 4-week training period on plasma neuropeptide Y, leptin and ghrelin responses in male rowers

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the effect of high-volume low intensity resistance training protocol combined with endurance training on plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY) concentration in rowers. Additionally, leptin and ghrelin, as markers for body energy balance concentrations, were monitored. 12 highly trained national and international level male rowers participated in this study. The participants were tested three times--after reference week (T1), after 2 weeks of high-volume training (T2) and after a recovery week (T3) for aerobic performance, energy intake and expenditure, and blood biochemical parameters. The submaximal rowing performance decreased significantly (P = 0.019) at T2. Fasting leptin decreased significantly (from 2.05 ± 0.88 to 1.28 ± 0.53 ng/mL; P = 0.009) at T2 and increased significantly (from 1.28 ± 0.53 to 1.79 ± 0.79 ng/mL; P = 0.002) at T3. Fasting ghrelin decreased significantly (from 980 ± 300.2 to 873.35 ± 198.6 pg/mL; P = 0.036) at T3 compared to T2, while no changes were found in fasting NPY. Significant decreases in exercise-induced leptin were observed at T2 (from 1.13 ± 0.5 to 1.08 ± 0.5 ng/mL; P = 0.012), PRE and POST test leptin values at T2 were significantly decreased compared to T1(1.40 ± 0.9 to 1.13 ± 0.5 and 1.44 ± 0.8 to 1.08 ± 0.5, respectively). Acute exercise-induced increases in NPY were found at T2 (from 128.1 ± 23.2 to 155.1 ± 28.9 pmol/L; P = 0.002) and at T3 (from 131.3 ± 20.5 to 159.7 ± 32.8 pmol/L, P = 0.004). In conclusion, the combination of high-volume training protocol and energy imbalance induces significant post-exercise changes in NPY, leptin, and ghrelin concentrations and decreases fasting leptin.

Potential neurobiological benefits of exercise in chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder: Pilot study

“…This is supported by recent work showing that 2 wk of moderate aerobic exercise training in already fit male rowers further increased the capacity for NPY release in response to a subsequent acute exercise challenge [29]. In addition, exercise has been shown to enhance vagal parasympathetic neurotransmission and thereby suppress proinflammatory pathways-another pathway by which chronic pain might be improved.…”

“…Plasma concentrations of NPY were measured without extraction using a direct radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit (Euro-Diagnostica-ALPCO Diagnostics; Salem, New Hampshire). The assay sensitivity is ~12.81 pg/mL and has <0.1 percent crossreactivity with NPY [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] , peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, and other neuropeptides. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) is 4.7 percent, and the interassay CV is 8.4 percent.…”

“…It is thus of interest that acute intense exercise induces NPY release in healthy humans [28][29] and that rodents show acute increases in plasma and brain allopregnanolone levels after acute swim stress [30][31][32][33]. Exercise is also known to increase vagal parasympathetic, as well as sympathetic, neurotransmission and thus has the potential to suppress proinflammatory pathways and thereby reduce pain [34].…”

Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletes

“…NPY is also released in response to various stress stimuli, such as intense exercise, in the GI tract and plays a role in attenuates the HPA axis [41]. The NPY is a 36-amino acid peptide located throughout the gut-brain axis and is the most prevalent neuropeptide in the brain that plays a role in stress resilience, and inflammatory processes [42].…”

“…The NPY is a 36-amino acid peptide located throughout the gut-brain axis and is the most prevalent neuropeptide in the brain that plays a role in stress resilience, and inflammatory processes [42]. Rämson et al [41] studied NPY serum levels in 12 highly trained rowers and found that the post-exercise concentrations of NPY increased significantly. Though few studies have studied serum and hippocampal NPY levels in response to exercise, these results suggest it plays a role in reducing the stress response upon intense exercise [41].…”