Effects of a Combined Endurance/Strength Training Program on Circulating Irisin Levels in Overweight/Obese Men and Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Irisin is a promising therapeutic target in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as studies have demonstrated that irisin can induce "browning" of adipocytes and mitigate pro-inflammatory conditions. Sex-specific changes in irisin levels have been reported in a study involving healthy men and women following physical training. The present study aims to analyze the effects of an 8-week training intervention on circulating irisin levels in patients with T2DM and to find out whether the training responses differ between T2DM men and women. Twenty-nine overweight/obese T2DM patients (19 men, 10 women; age: 46-74 years; body mass index >25 kg/m2) participated in a combined moderate-intensity endurance/strength training program (3 times a week). The irisin levels of men and women did not differ significantly. The post-training irisin levels did not differ significantly from the pre-training values, and there was no interaction effect of sex. This study shows no training-induced (sex-specific) changes in circulating irisin levels in T2DM patients. Large-scale studies using other forms of training are needed to fully clarify whether basal irisin levels can be changed in T2DM men and/or women to counteract T2DM.