Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the effects of increase in the daily number of pedometer steps during an exercise class with health instruction on body mass index (BMI) and abdominal circumference and polymorphisms of the obesity-related gene. The subjects included 21 men and 38 women aged from 55 to 70 years (Mean age: 64.0±3.7 years, height: 158.7±7.9cm, weight: 59.2±9.4kg, BMI: 23.5±2.7). The exercise class with health instruction consisted of 17 sport events 2 or 3 times per month and 9 lectures on exercise and health once every month, and the goal for number of pedometer steps was set at 10000 per day. BMI and abdominal circumference were measured at the start of the exercise class and at 21 weeks and 38 weeks after the start of the exercise class. Subjects were classified into three types in terms of polymorphisms of β3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) gene, uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) gene, and β2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene. The number of pedometer steps per day significantly increased during the exercise class period. BMI and abdominal circumference were significantly decreased at 38 weeks after the start of the exercise class compared to those at the start of the exercise class. The extents of decreases in BMI and abdominal circumference were not significantly different among the three groups of subjects with polymorphisms of ADRB3 gene, UCP1 gene and ADRB2 gene. The results suggest that the effects of increase in the daily number of pedometer steps on BMI and abdominal circumference do not depend on polymorphisms of the obesity-related gene.
