Baseline characteristics of participants according to study group
| Baseline characteristics | Exercise group (n=8) | Control group (n=10) | P values |
| Age (years) | 33.1±5.9 | 31.7±4.3 | 0.58 |
| Height (cm) | 174.6±8.5 | 167.3±7.2 | 0.08 |
| Body composition | |||
| Body weight (kg) | 85.7±3.5 | 87.9±2.9 | 0.63 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.9±2.4 | 31.2±1.3 | 0.03* |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 100.7±8.5 | 103.7±7.3 | 0.44 |
| Waist-hip ratio | 1.01±0.1 | 1.02±0.1 | 0.45 |
| Fat-free mass (kg) | 54.0±6.0 | 52.9±6.7 | 0.71 |
| Fat mass (%) | 38.5±5.4 | 40.0±2.4 | 0.34 |
| Visceral fat (cm2) | 137.2±2.0 | 147.1±9.8 | 0.14 |
| Blood pressure | |||
| Systolic (mm Hg) | 117.9±3.8 | 121.1±14.8 | 0.52 |
| Diastolic (mm Hg) | 74.0±9.1 | 72.4±9.2 | 0.72 |
| Resting heart rate (beats/min) | 59.6±5.6 | 64.3±12.5 | 0.33 |
| Lipids | |||
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.4±1.1 | 4.3±0.5 | 0.80 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 0.7±0.2 | 0.9±0.4 | 0.14 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.4±0.4 | 1.6±0.7 | 0.39 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.9±1.3 | 2.5±0.9 | 0.51 |
| LDL:HDL ratio | 2.3±1.6 | 2.0±1.0 | 0.6 |
| Androgens | |||
| AMH (pmol/L) | 19.8±12.4 | 21.7±15.3 | 0.79 |
| Total testosterone (nmol/L) | 1.2±0.5 | 1.0±0.3 | 0.37 |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 49.5±26.1 | 51.7±30.2 | 0.87 |
| Free androgen index | 3.2±2.4 | 2.3±1.1 | 0.39 |
| TSH (mIU/L) | 2.2±2.3 | 1.9±1.1 | 0.74 |
| FSH (IU/L) | 6.5±4.2 | 5.8±3.2 | 0.67 |
| Oestradiol (nmol/L) | 0.7±0.6 | 0.4±0.2 | 0.22 |
| DHEA (µmol/L) | 6.5±2.4 | 5.3±1.4 | 0.25 |
| LH (IU/L) | 11.0±9.8 | 11.3±15.9 | 0.96 |
| Prolactin (mIU/L) | 260±86 | 221±79 | 0.34 |
| Insulin sensitivity | |||
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 5.0±0.2 | 5.0±0.5 | 0.70 |
| Fasting serum insulin (pmol/L) | 79.2±25.7 | 143.8±108.3 | 0.32 |
| HbA1c (%) | 4.9±0.3 | 5.1±0.3 | 0.27 |
| Fasting c-peptide (nmol/L) | 0.6±0.2 | 0.7±0.3 | 0.72 |
| M-value (mg/min/m2) | 262.3±154.6 | 265.8±138.2 | 0.96 |
| M-value (mg/min/ kg fat-free mass) | 10.4±6.0 | 10.0±4.8 | 0.90 |
| SIClamp,M/(G-∆I) | 1.3±1.0 | 1.2±1.0 | 0.93 |
| HOMA2-IR | 2.6±0.9 | 5.0±3.7 | 0.29 |
| VO2peak (mL/kg/min) | 31.6±6.4 | 30.7±4.3 | 0.74 |
Observed data are presented as mean±SD and p value, analysed with independent sample t-tests.
*Between-group difference.
AMH, anti-Müllerian hormone; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; HbA1c, haemoglobin subunit alpha 1; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA2-IR, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; LH, luteinising hormone; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin; DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone; SIClamp , glucose infusion rate/steady-state glucose × ∆insulin; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone; VO2peak, peak oxygen uptake. Free androgen index was calculated as 100 × (total testosterone/SHBG).