Conclusion
Although there was no statistically significant between-group difference in IL-22 change, the study suggests that different exercise intensities may have opposing effects on IL-22 concentration in individuals with MetS.
Methods
This was a sub-study of the "Exercise in the prevention of Metabolic Syndrome" (EX-MET) a multi-center, randomized trial. This study used data collected at the Brisbane site. Thirty-nine individuals with MetS were randomized to one of three 16-wk interventions: 1) MICT (n=10, 30min at 60-70% HR peak, 5x/wk); 2) 4HIIT (n=13, 4x4min at 85-95% HR peak, interspersed with 3min of active recovery at 50-70% HR peak, 3x/wk); or 3) 1HIIT (n=16, 1x4min at 85-95% HR peak, 3x/wk). Serum IL-22 concentration was measured following a 12-hr fast via an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, before and after the intervention. MetS severity, insulin resistance (IR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were also measured via MetS z-score, HOMA-IR, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and indirect calorimetry (maximal exercise test), respectively.
Results
The median (IQR) IL-22% changes from pre- to post-intervention in the MICT, 4HIIT, and 1HIIT groups were -17% (-43.0% to 31.3%), +16.5% (-18.9% to 154.9%), and +15.9% (-28.7% to 46.1%), respectively. Although there were no significant between-group differences in IL-22 concentration change, there was a medium-to-large group × time interaction effect [F(2,35)=2.08, p=0.14, η2=0.14].