Comparative adipokine profile in middle-aged master athletes, untrained adults, and young individuals

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ involved in metabolic regulation and systemic inflammation, processes that are altered during aging. Nevertheless, the adipokine profile associated with lifelong physical training in master. athletes remains incompletely characterized. AIM: This study investigated circulating concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, insulin, and the leptin-to-adiponectin and adiponectin-to-resistin ratios in four male groups: endurance master athletes (ME), master sprinters (MS), untrained middle-aged adults (UMA), and untrained young adults (YU). METHODS: ME (n = 17, 50.5 ± 9.6 years), MS (n = 30, 50.3 ± 6.2 years), UMA (n = 16, 48.5 ± 7.5 years), and YU (n = 23, 23.7 ± 4.0 years) underwent anamnesis, anthropometric assessments, and serum concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, and insulin using commercial ELISA kits. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Significant group differences were observed for all variables (p < 0.001). UMA exhibited higher concentrations of leptin, insulin, and resistin, together with an elevated leptin-to-adiponectin ratio and a reduced adiponectin-to-resistin ratio compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). MS also presented higher leptin and insulin levels and an increased leptin-to-adiponectin ratio compared. with YU (p < 0.05), as well as a lower adiponectin-to-resistin ratio (p < 0.05). Overall, effect sizes were large across outcomes, and master athletes displayed a more favorable adipokine profile than untrained middle-aged adults, suggesting potential metabolic adaptations associated with lifelong training. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged master athletes exhibited a more favorable adipokine profile than untrained middle-aged adults, with values approaching those observed in young individuals.