Original Article

International Journal of Obesity (2006) 30, 1211–1216. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803245; published online 31 January 2006

Addition of aerobic exercise to dietary weight loss preferentially reduces abdominal adipocyte size

T You1, K M Murphy1, M F Lyles1, J L Demons1, L Lenchik2 and B J Nicklas1,3

  1. 1J Paul Sticht Center on Aging, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
  2. 2Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
  3. 3Center for Human Genomics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Correspondence: Dr T You, J Paul Sticht Center on Aging, G Floor, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157. E-mail: tyou@wfubmc.edu

Received 30 August 2005; Revised 14 October 2005; Accepted 29 October 2005; Published online 31 January 2006.

Top

Abstract

Objective:

 

To determine if hypocaloric diet, diet plus low-intensity exercise, and diet plus high-intensity exercise differentially influence subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal adipocyte size in obese individuals.

Design:

 

Longitudinal intervention study of hypocaloric diet, diet plus low-intensity exercise, and diet plus high-intensity exercise (calorie deficit=2800 kcal/week, 20 weeks).

Subjects:

 

Forty-five obese, middle-aged women (BMI=33.0plusminus0.6 kg/m2, age=58plusminus1 years).

Measurements:

 

Body composition testing and adipose tissue biopsies were conducted before and after the interventions. Subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal adipocyte size was determined.

Results:

 

All three interventions reduced body weight, fat mass, percent fat, and waist and hip girths to a similar degree. Diet only did not change subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size, whereas both diet plus exercise groups significantly reduced abdominal adipocyte size. Changes in abdominal adipocyte size in the diet plus exercise groups were significantly different from that of the diet group. Gluteal adipocyte size decreased similarly in all three groups.

Conclusion:

 

Addition of exercise training to dietary weight loss preferentially reduces subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size in obese women. This may be of importance for the treatment of health complications associated with subcutaneous abdominal adiposity.

Keywords:

exercise training, hypocaloric diet, abdominal fat, gluteal fat, fat cell size

Extra navigation

.

naturejobs

More science jobs
Post a job for free
ADVERTISEMENT