Physical fitness and plasma leptin in women with recent gestational diabetes

Aims/Hypothesis: Low physical fitness (PF) is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) are at risk for T2D at a young age, but the role of PF in this population is not clear. PF has also been found to correlate inversely with plasma leptin in previous studies. Here, we examine whether women who had GDM have lower PF than women after a normoglycemic pregnancy and, second, whether PF is associated with plasma leptin, independently of body fat mass. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 236 participants in the PPSDiab Study (cohort study of women 3–16 months after delivery, 152 after gestational diabetes (pGDM), 84 after normoglycemic pregnancy (control subjects); consecutively recruited 2011–16); medical history, physical examination with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 154), 5-point oral glucose tolerance test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, clinical chemistry including fasting plasma leptin; statistical analysis with Mann–Whitney U and t -test, Spearman correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression. Results: Women pGDM had lower maximally achieved oxygen uptake (VO2peak/kg: 25.7(21.3–29.9) vs. 30.0(26.6–34.1)ml/min/kg; total VO2peak: 1733(1552–2005) vs. 1970(1767–2238)ml/min; p