Investigation of serum Spexin levels after two different loading periods in athletes belonging to different sports disciplines

Objective: The aim of this was to investigate changes in serum Spexin concentrations after two different acute exercise protocols in sedentary and young adult athletes in three different sports disciplines. Method: A total of 48 participants were included in the study, 12 in each group. Participants were assigned one the four groups based on their training experience: sedentary, anaerobic training group, combined training group, and aerobic training group. Anthropometric measurements, heart rate, blood pressure, physical fitness parameters, and serum Spexin concentrations were assessed at rest. Two different loading protocols were applied to all individuals one week apart. The Yo-Yo protocol was used for intermittent loading, and the Cooper protocol was used for continuous loading. Venous blood samples were taken at the end of each protocol to determine serum Spexin levels. Results were presented as mean + SD. Homogeneity of distribution was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. One-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey test were applied to parameters showing homogeneous distribution among the groups, while Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to parameters showing non-homogeneity. A statistical significance level of p<0.05 was established. Results: No difference was found between resting serum Spexin concentrations in sedentary and athlete groups. Serum Spexin concentrations increased after both intermittent and continuous loading (p<0.05), but the increase was greater after intermittent loading. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study revealed that there was no difference between resting serum Spexin levels in sedentary and athlete individuals, but serum Spexin concentrations increased after both intermittent and continuous loading, peaking after intermittent loading. Key words: athlete, interval exercise, continuous exercise, anaerobic power, aerobic power