Adiponectin

Interesting studies are being done on the hormone adiponectin.  I don't know enough about it yet to put it in my own words, but here's a great article about it. Interesting stuff.

Nobody likes to be fat and new fat burning methods are always popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. If you are interested in burning your body fat, the first thing you need to understand is how body fat is reduced. In addition to that, athletes need to know how to utilize body fat to boost performance.

One protein hormone named Adiponectin plays a pivotal role in fat utilization. It is produced in the adipocytes (fat cells) and actually enhances the body’s ability to use carbohydrates for energy and burn fat for fuel. It may also play a role in diabetes protection. It has anti-inflammatory properties and may prevent fat deposits from forming in blood vessels.

According to a 2005 article in Endocrine Review by Takashi Kadowaki and Toshimasa Yamauchi, adiponectin’s effects on tissue triacylglyceride stores actually increased insulin sensitivity. When triglycerides are in excess, they decrease insulin sensitivity and adiponectin appears to stimulate their metabolism. This is good data to really use in diabetes, and obesity research.

DIET

Adiponectin levels may be manipulated through the diet. People who follow a Mediterranean including a variety of nuts, whole grains, fish, and little alcohol have been shown to have higher adiponectin levels in their blood. Another way to increase this hormone is to eat lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. Some of these foods high in Omega-3s are pastured raised meats, edamame, canola oil, walnuts, flax, avocados, and wild caught seafood.

Other ways to increase adiponectin is to increase fiber intake which can be done by adding a few servings of fruit and vegetables each day such as apples, spinach, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, and pears.

BODY COMPOSITION

Adiponectin is higher in leaner (low body fat) individuals. So the leaner someone is, the more adiponectin is released by their fatty tissue. People who have low levels of this hormone are usually obese, at risk for type II diabetes, and cardiovascular inflammation. So this probably leads people to ask whether overweight and obese people are genetically predisposed to have lower levels or are these low adiponectin levels low because of increase in other hormones such as cortisol and insulin? While little is known in that regard, many experts say that there is a possibility that the cell receptors may be blocked in people with lower levels. But research has been done recently to see how it works in regards to exercise.

RESEARCH

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning recently investigated further to understand how the protein-based hormone is stimulated and how it helps in fat cell utilization. The findings are briefly discussed here below.

Researchers working for the journal put two different rowing testing protocols side by side. They chose two groups for the research study and one of the two groups did an interval program while the other group members pursued a traditional research program. The traditional program entailed uninterrupted rowing for 35-40 minutes. The researchers measured Adiponectin stimulation at rest and after workout and these two sessions were separated by a 4-week program.

However, neither of the study programs stimulated Adiponectin. Nevertheless, Adiponectin response to interval workout significantly increased after the 4-week protocol but it did not respond to the traditional program. Maximal oxygen uptake of all the participants increased and their body fat also reduced remarkably. Therefore, the researchers came to a conclusion that intermittent workout would be highly effective in fat burning.

However, if you take a closer look at the actual data received through the process, you would notice that the after the four-week interval, negligible differences were found in maximal oxygen uptake, power output and most importantly, in body fat volume between the participants from the two groups. The only striking difference was the increase in Adiponectin level.

As Adiponectin is usually related with fat burning, the researchers actually expected a steep decrease in the body fat amount in the interval workout group. However, the differences were negligible.

Why did this anomaly happen? This is because researchers collected the Adiponectin samples after conducting a maximum voluntary effort test. Had they sampled the hormone after a test equivalent to the traditional test protocols, the results would be exactly the opposite of what they found.

FAT LOSS PILL?

If higher levels of adiponectin helps people lose body fat why isn’t there a pill with this hormone? Well, because hormones don’t really function in that sense. You can’t just take a hormone without it affecting the other ones. The body needs to remain in balance and rising one hormone can decrease the effects of another and visa versa. Don’t be fooled by the media and supplement industry promising a fat loss pill because it if were that simple, the obesity epidemic would have been solved and someone would have received a Nobel Prize for this discovery.

All in all, more research is needed to establish the fat burning potential of adiponectin, which is often cited as a ‘magic hormone’ by fitness gurus and nutritionists. But as long as you’re following a good workout program, along with a diet including omega-3s, carbs, protein, and lots of water, you shuld have no problem reaching your goals – that is where the magic really happens!