Growth hormone response to acute Kangaroo ‘Fun for Fitness’ exercise in normal-weight and obese boys and girls

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in the GH responses to Kangaroo exercise between normal-weight and obese children in both genders. Methods: Children (aged 11.28±0.54 y) were divided into; normal-weight boys (N=17), obese boys (N=13), normal-weight girls (N=15), and obese girls (N=9). All participants did Kangaroo exercises with 9 jumps, for a total of 7 sets of ten repetitions for each leg. Before and after exercise, participants were measured for their serum GH concentrations. Results: The results showed that girls (both normal-weight and obese) had a higher serum GH concentration than boys at pre-exercise and post-exercise (all, p < 0.05). There were no differences between normal weight (both genders) and obese groups at pre-test (p > 0.05). However, at a post-test, normal weight (both genders) had a higher serum GH concentration than the obese groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, normal-weight groups presented a higher post-exercise serum GH concentration than the pre-exercise (p < 0.05). In contrast, the obese groups presented a lower post-exercise serum GH concentration than the pre-exercise (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Obese boys and girls presented diminished acute GH responses to kangaroo exercise. Obese boys and girls displayed lower serum GH concentrations at post-exercise as compared to normal-weight boys and girls.