Introduction: Because upper and lower limbs's muscle masses and incoming blood flow in the zones, are different, It is possible that separate resistance training on this limbs leading to different responses on glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and lepton concentration, so the purpose of this study survey is this Question: Is the effect of lower and upper limbs resistance training on lepton concentration and insulin sensitivity overweight males different?
Methodology: Twenty four healthy students in Gilan University with overweight (age, 22.45 ± 1.7 years; height, 178.37 ± 6.63 cm; weight, 88.25 ± 7.46 kg), participated in this study, and were divided randomly into two upper and lower limbs training groups and one control group. The weight training program for each group with 70% 1RM intensity for 6 weeks was performed.
Results:Blood glucose levels did not significant change in any groups. Serum concentrations of insulin and lepton, insulin resistance index and body fat percent in the two training groups as compared to the pre test decreased significantly(p≤0.05). Fat free mass also was increased in both groups(p≤0.05). But there was no significant difference between changes of any measured variables between two groups training (other than muscular strength).
Discussion: It seems that the reduction of body fat percent and increasing of fat free mass in this study as the most important reason is to reduce insulin resistance index.Finally, according to the results obtained from this study one can conclude that although involving half of the body weight training improves insulin sensitivity, it does not seem any significant difference exists between body’s different limbs of metabolism of glucose, insulin action and leptin concentration. Nevertheless, more studies are needed in this regard.