Effect of habitual exercise on urinary liver‐type fatty acid‐binding protein levels in middle‐aged and older adults

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 152 - 160
• Main Authors: Kosaki, K., Kamijo‐Ikemori, A., Sugaya, T., Tanahashi, K., Sawano, Y., Akazawa, N., Ra, S.‐G., Kimura, K., Shibagaki, Y., Maeda, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Denmark Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2018
• Subjects: aerobic exercise training; Aerobics; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers - urine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; exercise habituation; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins - urine; Fatty acids; Female; Fitness training programs; Humans; kidney; Kidney Tubules, Proximal - physiology; Male; Middle age; Middle Aged; Older people; Physical fitness; renoprotective effect; tubular biomarker; kidney; tubular biomarker; aerobic exercise training; exercise habituation; renoprotective effect
• ISSN: 0905-7188; 1600-0838; 1600-0838
• DOI: 10.1111/sms.12867

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of habitual exercise on urinary liver‐type fatty acid‐binding protein (L‐FABP), which can reflect the degree of various stresses on renal proximal tubule related to the progression of renal disease, in middle‐aged and older adults. Cross‐sectional and interventional approaches were used to comprehensively achieve this purpose. In the cross‐sectional study, we investigated the relationship between physical activity levels and urinary L‐FABP levels in 130 middle‐aged and older adults. In the interventional study, subjects (n=31) were divided into two groups: exercise (n=19) and control group (n=12), whereby we examined the effects of 12‐week aerobic exercise training on urinary L‐FABP levels. The cross‐sectional study showed that the urinary L‐FABP levels were significantly lower in the higher physical activity group than in the lower physical activity group (P<.05). In the interventional study, 12‐week aerobic exercise training significantly decreased urinary L‐FABP levels (P<.01). Furthermore, the relative changes in urinary L‐FABP levels were significantly correlated with the relative changes in physical activity levels and mean arterial pressure after intervention (r=−.374 and r=.530, respectively). Our results revealed that the urinary L‐FABP levels were lower in the higher physical activity individuals, and aerobic exercise training decreased urinary L‐FABP levels. These results suggest that habitual exercise appears to be associated with a decrease in the degree of several stresses on renal proximal tubule and to be beneficial for kidney health in middle‐aged and older adults.