Adipose Tissue Function and Response to Exercise Training in Women With and Without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Adipose Tissue Function and Response to Exercise Training in Women With and Without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The primary aim of this trial is to investigate adipose tissue function in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a common endocrine disorder in young women. The pathogenesis behind PCOS is complex and only partly understood, and deeper mechanistic insight is needed. Insulin resistance is a central feature of PCOS, and recent studies have suggested that this is linked to aberrant adipose tissue function. Exercise training has been found to improve the symptoms in PCOS, but we need more knowledge about why. While processes involved in skeletal muscle oxidative remodeling are well described, it is to a large extent unknown whether the oxidative capacity of human adipose tissue is modified by endurance training. The women included in this study will be matched (for body mass index, body weight, and age) to participants in another study. This will enable the investigators to do a comparison between cases (women with PCOS) and controls (women without PCOS) at baseline, and to assess the responses to exercise training in adipose tissue.

Inclusion Criteria:

• eumenorrheic
• matching PCOC group in IMPROV-IT study (NCT02419482)
• Living nearby St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

Exclusion Criteria:

• Signs of hyperandrogenism
• Regular high intensity endurance (two or more times per week of vigorous exercise).
• Concurrent treatments (insulin sensitizers or drugs known to affect gonadotropin or ovulation, with a wash out period of 1 months prior to inclusion).
• On-going pregnancy
• Hormonal contraception
• Breastfeeding within 24 weeks