Reduced Growth Hormone Response to Anaerobic Exercise among Children with Overweight and Obesity

Michal Pantanowitz ^1,2 Doha Hejleh ¹ Nitzan Dror ¹ Dan Nemet ¹ Alon Eliakim ¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Child Health & Sports Center, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel
²The Academic College at Wingate, Netanya, Israel

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an anaerobic exercise test on growth hormone (GH) secretion in children with overweight and obesity compared to children with normal weight.

Methods: Fifteen children with overweight (BMI%ile ≥8595) and obesity (BMI%ile ≥95) and 10 children with normal weight (BMI%ile 585) participated in the study. Participants performed a modification of the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT), with 10 bouts of 15 sec cycling separated by one minute of rest. Blood samples for GH and lactate were collected before and 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after the beginning of the exercise test.

Results: There was a significant increase in GH levels following the modified repeated WAnT in both groups, but the increase in GH levels was significantly greater among the normal weight compared to participants with overweight and obesity (p0.003, d=1.45). Seven of the ten participants with normal weight had GH increase above the threshold for GH sufficiency, compared to only two participants with overweight and obesity.

Conclusion: GH response to the modified repeated WAnT was significantly reduced among children with overweight and obesity compared to children with normal weight. Anaerobic interval-type training may not be a sufficient exercise alternative to stimulate appropriate GH levels among children with obesity.

Michal Pantanowitz

Pediatric department, Child Health sport center, Meir medical center, Sackler School of Medicine,

Until recently Michal was a lecturer at the Wingate Academic college in Israel. Michal worked for many years in the Child health and sport center at Meir Medical Center. The center specializes in childhood obesity multidisciplinary intervention treatment including physical activity. Michal completed her Ph.D on the subject of emotional, familial and psychosocial characteristics of obese children.