Effects of endurance and endurance–strength exercise on biochemical parameters of liver function in women with abdominal obesity Damian Skrypnik a , Marzena Ratajczak b , Joanna Karolkiewicz b , Edyta Ma ˛dry c , Danuta Pupek-Musialik a , Rita Hansdorfer-Korzon d , Jaroslaw Walkowiak e , Hieronim Jakubowski f,g,h, *, Pawel Bogda  nski i a Department of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Disorders and Hypertension, University of Medical Sciences, Szamarzewskiego Str. 82/84, 60-569 Pozna n, Poland b Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Hygiene, University School of Physical Education, Królowej Jadwigi Str. 27/39, 61-871 Pozna n, Poland c Department of Physiology, University of Medical Sciences,  Swie ˛cickiego Str. 6, 60-781 Pozna n, Poland d Department of Physiotherapy, University of Medical Sciences, De ˛binki Str. 7, 80-211 Gda nsk, Poland e Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna Str. 27/33, 60-572 Pozna n, Poland f Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, International Center for Public Health, 225 Warren Street, Room E450D, Newark, NJ 07103-3535, USA g Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences, Dojazd Str. 11, 60-632 Poznan, Poland h Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Noskowskiego Str. 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland i Department of Education and Obesity Treatment and Metabolic Disorders, University of Medical Sciences, Szamarzewskiego Str. 82/84, 60-569 Pozna n, Poland A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 24 November 2015 Received in revised form 29 February 2016 Accepted 29 February 2016 Keywords: Obesity Liver function Physical exercise A B S T R A C T Introduction: Obesity is a risk factor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Although the standard therapy for obesity involves physical exercise, well-planned studies of the changes in liver function in response to different exercise intensities in obese subjects are scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine a question of how does exercise mode affect the liver function. Material and methods: 44 women with abdominal obesity were randomized into two exercise groups: endurance (group A) and endurance-strength (group B). Women in each group exercised for 60 min 3 times/week for a 3-month period. Markers of liver function: serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), g-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and bilirubin levels were quantified. Results: We found significant differences in ALT (p < 0.01) and AST (p < 0.05) activities between group A and B after training exercise. Blood ALT and AST tended to decrease in group B, increase in group A. Significant reduction in serum GGT level after exercise in both groups was observed (p < 0.001, group A; p < 0.01, group B). Neither endurance nor endurance-strength exercise led to changes in serum ALP activity and total or direct bilirubin level. However, endurance-strength training resulted in significant decreases in serum indirect bilirubin (p < 0.05). Strong positive correlations between serum indirect bilirubin and body mass (r = 0.615; p = 0.0085) and BMI (r = 0.576; p = 0.0154) were found after endurance-strength exercise (group B). Conclusion: The mode of exercise does matter: endurance-strength exercise led to a greater improvement, compared to endurance exercise, in the liver function in women with abdominal obesity. ã 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Obesity affects 500 million adults globally [1]. In high-income countries 18% deaths caused by increased BMI occur before the age of 60 [2]. In the United States, obesity is an independent cause of more than 300,000 deaths annually [3]. It is a risk factor of nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis–nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)–a condition that results from excessive accumulation of lipids in the liver and associated with oxidative stress [4]. NAFLD Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; MS, metabolic syndrome; DM2, type 2 diabetes mellitus; CVD, cardiovascular disease; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; SBP, systolic blood pressure; HDL, high- density lipoprotein; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HR, heart rate; WHR, waist-hip ratio; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GGT, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; SD, standard deviation; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; NS, not significant. * Corresponding author at: Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, International Center for Public Health, Room E450D, 225 Warren Street, Newark, New Jersey 07103-3535, USA. E-mail address: jakubows@njms.rutgers.edu (H. Jakubowski). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2016.02.017 0753-3322/ ã 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 80 (2016) 1–7 Available online at ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com