The levels of plasma insulin and C-peptide during exercise and subsequent recovery have been determined in obese non-diabetics, obese diabetics Type II and middle-aged female controls. It has been found that exercise reduces levels of peptides both in the control and in the obese non-diabetic group. This effect of acute exercise was found blunted in the obese diabetic group. Non-diabetic obese subjects pretreated with phentolamine showed no reduction either in plasma insulin or C-peptide levels during exercise. During the recovery, the level of plasma insulin returned promptly to the pre-exercise value in the control group but increased above the resting value in obese subjects, both non-diabetic and diabetic. In controls and non-diabetic obese the increment of C-peptide: insulin molar ratio occurred early after the onset of exercise and then returned to the resting value despite the exercise being continued. The plasma C-peptide:insulin molar ratios were reduced during the first 15 min of recovery period in obese non-diabetic subjects and returned to normal in the next 15 min. The latter may suggest that reduced insulin removal could also contribute to the increase in plasma insulin values in the obese during recovery.