Efficacy of high-intensity interval training versus continuous training on serum myonectin and lipid outcomes in adults with metabolic syndrome: A post-hoc analysis of a clinical trial

• Published in: PloS one 2024-07, Vol.19 (7), p.e0307256
• Main Authors: Petro, Jorge L, Fragozo-Ramos, María Carolina, Milán, Andrés F, Aristizabal, Juan C, Calderón, Juan C, Gallo-Villegas, Jaime
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Adult; Adults; Aerobics; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood lipids; Body composition; Body fat; Body mass index; Body size; Clinical trials; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Effectiveness; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Female; Fibronectins - blood; Fitness equipment; Gas chromatography; High-Intensity Interval Training - methods; Humans; Interval training; Intervention; Linoleic acid; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Male; Mass spectroscopy; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - therapy; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal system; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Oxygen Consumption; Physical fitness; Physiological aspects; Product development; Proton magnetic resonance; Research and Analysis Methods; Saturated fatty acids; Secondary analysis; Serum lipids; Spectroscopy; Stearic acid; Training; Type 2 diabetes; Unsaturated fatty acids; Workloads
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307256

Myonectin is a myokine with potential effects on the lipid metabolism; however, its regulation by exercise in humans remains unclear. We aimed to compare the efficacy of high-intensity interval training low-volume (HIIT) versus moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on serum myonectin, serum lipids, appendicular fat and lean mass, and intramuscular lipids in humans. Secondary analysis of a controlled, randomized, clinical trial in adults of both sexes with metabolic syndrome, who underwent a supervised, three-times/week, 12-week treadmill program. HIIT (n = 29) consisted of six intervals with one-minute, high-intensity phases at 90% of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) for a total of 22 min. MICT (n = 31) trained at 60% of VO2peak for 36 min. Serum myonectin was measured using a human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lipid profile was determined by enzymatic methods and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured by gas chromatography. Fat and lean mass were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Intramuscular lipids were measured through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Subjects had a mean age of 50.8±6.0 years and body mass index of 30.6±4.0 kg/m2. Compared to MICT, HIIT was not superior at increasing serum myonectin (p = 0.661) or linoleic acid (p = 0.263), reducing palmitic (p = 0.286) or stearic acid (p = 0.350), or improving lipid profile (all p>0.05), appendicular fat mass index -AFMI- (p = 0.713) or appendicular lean mass percentage -ALM- (p = 0.810). Compared to baseline, only HIIT significantly increased myonectin (p = 0.042), with a large effect size, although both interventions reduced AFMI and increased ALM with a large effect size. Lipid profile, FFA and intramuscular lipids did not change in any intervention group (p>0.05). Compared to MICT, HIIT low volume did not demonstrate superiority in improving serum lipids. The fact that both training types reduced AFMI without paralleled significant changes in serum myonectin suggests that this myokine may have a minor effect on short-middle-term exercise-induced fat mobilization.