Horm Metab Res 1999; 31(5): 323-325
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-978745
Originals Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Small Weight Gain is not Associated with Development of Insulin Resistance in Healthy, Physically Active Individuals

J. P. Ohannesian1 , C. C. Marco2 , P. S. Najm2 , B. J. Goldstein2 , J. F. Caro1 , J. W. Kolaczynski2
  • 1Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, USA
  • 2Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
Further Information

Publication History

1998

1998

Publication Date:
20 April 2007 (online)

We investigated whether weight gain alters insulin sensitivity and leptin levels in physically active individuals. Six (5 males and 1 female; age 26.6 ± 1.0 years; BMI 21.5 ± 0.9, body fat 17.4 ± 2.2%) healthy individuals were enrolled in an over-feeding study (caloric surplus 22.5 - 26.5 kcal/kg/day) to achieve up to 10% weight gain over 4 - 6 week period with subsequent weight maintenance over additional 2 weeks. The participants were requested to maintain their previous physical activity which in all of them included 45 - 60 mm training sessions at the gym 2 - 3 times/week. Results: BMI increased to 23.4 ± 0.9 (4.4 kg weight gain; p < 0.05) and body fat to 21.0 ± 2.8% (p < 0.05) over the period of active weight gain and remained stable over the two week period of weight maintenance; fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin remained unchanged; serum leptin nearly doubled (3.8 ± 1.0 vs 6.4 ± 1.9 ng/mL; p < 0.05); insulin sensitivity, when expressed per kg of the total body (11.1 ± 1.6 vs 12.4 ± 2.1 mg/kg/mm; p = NS), and lean body mass (13.4 ± 1.9 vs 15.7 ± 2.6 mg/kgLBM/min; p = NS), did not decrease after weight gain. On the contrary, insulin action had improved in 5 out of 6 individuals. In conclusion, the data presented in this preliminary report indicate that a small weight gain due to overfeeding in lean, healthy, physically active individuals is associated with rise in circulating leptin levels but not with worsening of insulin action.