Type 2 diabetes mellitus risk and exercise: is resistin involved?

Obesity and associated disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pose an increasing risk to the health of both individuals and society. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ, secreting many hormones, known as adipokines. Evidence suggests that one suggest adipokine, resistin, may be elevated in the plasma of individuals with T2DM, and early reports indicated that this may contribute to the impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance observed in T2DM, hence its name, resistin, however subsequent evidence suggests it may have a proinflammatory role. Performing regular exercise and dietary interventions improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in the majority of individuals with T2DM, and we hypothesized that plasma resistin levels may drop in individuals following a long term aerobic and/or resistance exercise intervention program. Articles analyzing the effects of exercise on serum resistin levels were therefore analyzed. Articles were selected and analyzed based on a minimum aerobic and/or resistance training program of 2 sessions per week for 12 weeks. Plasma resistin levels decreased following either endurance aerobic exercise and/or resistance training plans in individuals with obesity and/or insulin resistance, although this was not related to BMI change. Exercise intervention programs generally showed potentially beneficial changes in plasma resistin concentrations. It is possible these effects are mediated through exercise-induced decreases in inflammation via anti-inflammatory cytokine release rather than alterations in glucose metabolism and reductions in BMI per se. A possible link between resistin, exercise and T2DM is discussed.