Effects of acute resistance exercise on acyl-ghrelin and obestatin levels in hemodialysis patients: a pilot study

Abstract

Chronic physical exercises may be beneficial to modulate appetite hormones as acyl-ghrelin (orexigenic) and obestatin (anorexigenic) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; however, there are no data about the effects of acute exercises on these hormones. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of acute resistance exercise on appetite hormones (acyl-ghrelin and obestatin) of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Twenty-five patients (44.7 ± 12.9 years, 68% women) on regular HD program were enrolled into two groups, 16 patients performed exercises and 9 patients comprised the control group. The patients performed the exercises in both lower limbs with ankle-cuffs and elastic bands, 30 min after the initiation of hemodialysis session. Blood samples of both the groups were drawn in the morning before and after 30 min with exercise session (exercise group) and, before and after the same time without exercise (control group). Acyl-ghrelin and obestatin plasma levels were measured using an enzyme immunometric assay. Acyl-ghrelin plasma levels did not change in both the groups. However, when stratified by gender the acyl-ghrelin increased significantly right after exercise in men [32.1 pg/mL (25.6–41.2) to 46.0 pg/mL (39.0–59.5)] (p = 0.04). Obestatin plasma levels reduced after a single bout of exercise and changes remained significantly when the sample was stratified by gender. There was no change in obestatin plasma levels in control group. A single bout of resistance exercise seems to modulate the levels of appetite hormones in HD patients.