This is very interesting. I have been reading several studies conducted on both rats and mice, and observations taken with people about the onset of puberty and leptin levels.
Leptin first of all is a hormone the fat tissue (adipose tissue to be exact) releases into the body which controls the rate in which your cells consume energy and your apetite according to the brain. The higher body fat, the higher leptin, the lower body fat, the lower leptin. Also fasting lowers leptin levels significantly, but an overfeed day increases it significantaly.
So the studies were done, and in the conclusion the lower leptin levels a teenager has, and low body fat (causing low leptin) delayes the onset of puberty and sexual maturation.
I find this especially interesting myself as I haven't reached my growth spurt yet, and im 15, and I also maintain a low body fat year round.
It is also interesting that once you have been dieting for a long time, and your results come to a hault (plateau) it is most probablly because of low leptin levels in the body. That is why I believe a refeed day is nessesary at least every 2 months, if not sooner!
Also, the amount of leptin levels, body fat and onset puberty is also very obvious with the increasingly higher number of obese children around. Have any of you noticed that fatter children seem to develop more rapidly than those scrawny ones? Low body fat and leptin levels are also delayed when a girl gets her period and if they are a bit older, messes it up a bit.
Anyway, I just thought this was a very interesting topic, and if any of you interested in it, just do some research on the net - theres becoming more and more information on it everyday.
Tim
Leptin first of all is a hormone the fat tissue (adipose tissue to be exact) releases into the body which controls the rate in which your cells consume energy and your apetite according to the brain. The higher body fat, the higher leptin, the lower body fat, the lower leptin. Also fasting lowers leptin levels significantly, but an overfeed day increases it significantaly.
So the studies were done, and in the conclusion the lower leptin levels a teenager has, and low body fat (causing low leptin) delayes the onset of puberty and sexual maturation.
I find this especially interesting myself as I haven't reached my growth spurt yet, and im 15, and I also maintain a low body fat year round.
It is also interesting that once you have been dieting for a long time, and your results come to a hault (plateau) it is most probablly because of low leptin levels in the body. That is why I believe a refeed day is nessesary at least every 2 months, if not sooner!
Also, the amount of leptin levels, body fat and onset puberty is also very obvious with the increasingly higher number of obese children around. Have any of you noticed that fatter children seem to develop more rapidly than those scrawny ones? Low body fat and leptin levels are also delayed when a girl gets her period and if they are a bit older, messes it up a bit.
Anyway, I just thought this was a very interesting topic, and if any of you interested in it, just do some research on the net - theres becoming more and more information on it everyday.
Tim