Project 467121

Numerous studies have found that exercise training improves glucose handling, insulin sensitivity and prevents type II diabetes, but few have examined whether there are differences in adaptations between the sexes. The few studies that have compared the effects of training on insulin sensitivity in men and women have found that improvements tend to be blunted or absent in women. Underlying mechanisms by which these differences occur have been largely unexamined. The purpose of this research is to compare the effects of exercise training on insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling in overweight/obese men and women. Thirty (n=15/sex) overweight/obese males and females will be recruited for this training trial. Training will consist of 3 sessions per week of aerobic (30 min, moderate intensity) and resistance (whole body circuit, 3 circuits/session, 10 exercises/circuit, 35% 1 repetition maximum). Prior to and following 12 weeks of training participants will undergo assessment of glucose control (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c), insulin sensitivity (oral glucose tolerance test, HOMA-IR, Matsuda Index) and insulin signaling (AKT, PI3K TBC1D1, TBC1D4, PTEN, IRS1, GLUT4) in the fasted and fed states. Investigating the potential sex differences in the response to exercise could help formulate more targeted prevention strategies for mitigating risk factors of metabolic disease.