The Impact Of Aerobic Exercise On Irisin Levels In Individuals With Different Type 2 Diabetes Durations

Irisin, an adipo-myokine, is positively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and negatively associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, it is unclear if individuals with longer or shorter durations of T2DM express the same irisin levels following aerobic exercise. PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of 28 weeks of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise on irisin levels in individuals with short- and long-duration T2DM. METHODS: This secondary analysis included participants (n = 19) aged >19 years old with self-reported T2DM who participated in 28 weeks of aerobic exercise training for 150 minutes per week at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity (4.5 to 6.0 metabolic equivalents tasks (METs)). Participants were categorized into two groups 1) short-duration T2DM (<10 years) or 2) long-duration T2DM (>10 years). Irisin was analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting techniques. All measurements were performed at baseline, 16 weeks, and 28 weeks. RESULTS: Following the completion of the trial, disease duration was correlated with changes in irisin expression (r = 0.50, p = 0.03). In the long-duration T2DM group, an increase in plasma irisin levels (F (2) = 5.977, p < 0.01) was observed, and western blot analysis revealed a 1.37-fold increase in plasma irisin expression (p = 0.03). The short-duration T2DM group displayed no change in plasma irisin expression (F (2) = 0.773, p = 0.48). CONCLUSION: Results of this analysis suggest T2DM duration impacts both the expression and release of irisin following aerobic exercise training. Further research is needed to examine the mechanistic differences in why irisin expression differs according to the length of time individuals have been living with T2DM. ResearchNB, Diabetes Action Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation New Brunswick