Changes in Circulating BDNF in relation to Sex, Diet, and Exercise: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Study in Overweight and Obese Participants
Table 1
Baseline and change (week 0–week 12) characteristics in EXO, DEX, and DIO according to sex.
EXO
DIO
DEX
Women
Men
Women
Men
Women
Men
N
7
9
8
6
11
9
Age
35.6 ± 8.8
38.8 ± 5.4
34.6 ± 7.0
37 ± 5.9
38.3 ± 8.3
37.8 ± 6.8
Weight (kg)
Week 0
99.4 ± 6.6
101.8 ± 11.0
106.5 ± 10.2
105 ± 5.9
101.9 ± 17.2
111.4 ± 12
Week 12
96.0 ± 6.2
97.1 ± 9.3
95.9 ± 9.8
90.7 ± 6.2
90.5 ± 14.4
98.0 ± 10.0
Change
3.4 ± 2.2
0.006
−4.7 ± 2.3
≤0.001
−10.6 ± 2.8
0.012
−14.3 ± 2.9
≤0.001
−11.4 ± 5.2
≤0.001
−13.3 ± 5.2
≤0.001
BMI (kg/m2)
Week 0
35 ± 1.3
0.006
31.2 ± 2.9
37.2 ± 2.7
0.005
32.4 ± 2.4
35.1 ± 3.9
33.4 ± 2.1
Week 12
33.8 ± 1.3
29.8 ± 2.5
33.5 ± 2.6
28.0 ± 2.6
31.2 ± 2.9
29.5 ± 2.4
Change
−1.1 ± 0.7
0.005
−1.4 ± 0.7
≤0.001
−3.7 ± 1.0
≤0.001
−4.4 ± 0.8
≤0.001
−3.9 ± 1.7
0.003
−4.0 ± 1.3
≤0.001
Waist (cm)
Week 0
105 ± 5.5
104.2 ± 6.5
107.1 ± 6.9
110.2 ± 6.2
106.7 ± 12.3
113.2 ± 5.4
Week 12
99.0 ± 4.8
98.8 ± 7.0
97.1 ± 7.0
97.5 ± 8.5
95.5 ± 10.9
99.7 ± 7.5
Change
−6.0 ± 3.5
0.04
−5.4 ± 3.4
0.001
−9.5 ± 3.6
≤0.001
−12.7 ± 3.6
≤0.001
−11.2 ± 5.3
≤0.001
−13.6 ± 4.0
≤0.001
Glucose (mmol/l)
Week 0
5.5 ± 0.7
5.6 ± 0.3
5.4 ± 0.6
5.5 ± 0.4
5.5 ± 0.5
5.7 ± 0.3
Week 12
5.6 ± 0.3
5.7 ± 0.6
4.8 ± 0.4
5.3 ± 0.3
5.4 ± 0.5
5.5 ± 0.6
Change
0.1 ± 0.6
0.575
0.2 ± 0.5
0.376
−0.6 ± 0.4
0.004
−0.2 ± 0.6
0.012
−0.1 ± 0.3
0.104
−0.3 ± 0.5
0.122
Insulin (pg/l)
Week 0
61.9 ± 36.1
56.8 ± 34
76.4 ± 27.8
83.9 ± 39.5
90 ± 40
85.5 ± 44.2
Week 12
57.9 ± 38.8
52.8 ± 21.1
51.4 ± 22.0
61.6 ± 23.6
50.5 ± 25.9
64.4 ± 31.0
Change
−3.9 ± 38.8
0.799
−9.2 ± 29.6
0.410
−25.1 ± 24.6
0.024
−30.6 ± 21.2
0.032
−39.5 ± 45.1
0.016
−21.0 ± 47.7
0.222
HOMA
Week 0
2.2 ± 1.2
2 ± 1.2
2.7 ± 1.3
3.0 ± 1.4
3.2 ± 1.5
3.2 ± 1.7
Week 12
2.1 ± 1.4
2.0 ± 1.0
1.6 ± 0.7
2.1 ± 0.8
1.7 ± 0.9
2.3 ± 1.3
Change
2.1 ± 1.4
0.878
−0.2 ± 1.1
0.564
−1.1 ± 0.9
0.012
−1.2 ± 0.82
0.033
−1.5 ± 1.7
0.017
−0.8 ± 1.9
0.231
Data are presented as mean ± SD. BMI: body mass index; HOMA: homeostatic model assessment; BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; : value. Paired-sample t-test was performed to test for significant change from baseline to week 12. Independent t-test was performed to test for sex difference. Mann–Whitney U test and Wilcoxon rank test were used for nonparametric data.
