Enhancing cardiometabolic health: unveiling the synergistic effects of high-intensity interval training with spirulina supplementation on selected adipokines, insulin resistance, and anthropometric indices in obese males

Maryam Delfan; Ayoub Saeidi; Rashmi Supriya; Kurt A Escobar; Ismail Laher; Katie M Heinrich; Katja Weiss; Beat Knechtle; Hassane Zouhal

doi:10.1186/s12986-024-00785-0

Enhancing cardiometabolic health: unveiling the synergistic effects of high-intensity interval training with spirulina supplementation on selected adipokines, insulin resistance, and anthropometric indices in obese males

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2024 Mar 7;21(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s12986-024-00785-0.

Authors

Maryam Delfan¹, Ayoub Saeidi², Rashmi Supriya³, Kurt A Escobar⁴, Ismail Laher⁵, Katie M Heinrich⁶, Katja Weiss⁷, Beat Knechtle^{8

9}, Hassane Zouhal^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran. m.delfan@alzahra.ac.ir.
² Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran.
³ Centre for Health and Exercise Science Research, SPEH, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 90840, USA.
⁵ Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁶ Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA.
⁷ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁸ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch.
⁹ Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, Vadianstrasse 26, St. Gallen, 9001, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch.
¹⁰ Univ Rennes, M2S (Laboratoire Mouvement, Sport, Rennes, Santé, EA 1274, F-35000, France. hassane.zouhal@univ-rennes2.fr.
¹¹ Institut International des Sciences du Sport (2I2S), Irodouer, 35850, France. hassane.zouhal@univ-rennes2.fr.

Abstract

This study investigated the combined effects of 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and spirulina supplementation on adipokine levels, insulin resistance, anthropometric indices, and cardiorespiratory fitness in 44 obese males (aged 25-40 years). The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: control (CG), supplement (SG), training (TG), or training plus supplement (TSG). The intervention involved daily administration of either spirulina or a placebo and HIIT three times a week for the training groups. Anthropometric indices, HOMA-IR, VO_2peak, and circulating adipokines (asprosin and lipocalin2, omentin-1, irisin, and spexin) were measured before and after the 12-week intervention. Post-intervention analysis indicated differences between the CG and the three interventional groups for body weight, fat-free mass (FFM), percent body fat (%BF), HOMA-IR, and adipokine levels (p < 0.05). TG and SG participants had increased VO_2peak (p < 0.05). Spirulina supplementation with HIIT increased VO_2peak, omentin-1, irisin, and spexin, while causing decreases in lipocalin-2 and asprosin levels and improvements in body composition (weight, %fat), BMI, and HOMA-IR. Notably, the combination of spirulina and HIIT produced more significant changes in circulating adipokines and cardiometabolic health in obese males compared to either supplementation or HIIT alone (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the synergistic benefits of combining spirulina supplementation with HIIT, showcasing their potential in improving various health parameters and addressing obesity-related concerns in a comprehensive manner.

Keywords: Adipokines; High-intensity interval training; Obesity; Spirulina.