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Skeletal muscle low attenuation area and maximal fat oxidation rate during submaximal exercise in male obese individuals

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 1579–1584 (2001)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 27 September 2002

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Muscle triacylglycerols (TG) are known to be a source of energy during submaximal exercise.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess whether an index of muscle fat content is related to maximal fat oxidation rate (FATOXmax) in 58 obese men (mean age 45.5±0.8 (s.e.) y, body weight 95.3±1.4 kg, percentage fat 31.1±0.6%).

DESIGN: FATOXmax was defined as the highest value of fat oxidation rate, measured by indirect calorimetry, while walking on a treadmill (4.3 km/h) at three different slopes: 0% (40±1% of VO2max), 3% (47±1% of VO2max) and 6% (58±1% of VO2max). Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) were measured with the underwater technique and scans were obtained by computed tomography (CT) at the mid thigh level to assess areas of adipose tissue within skeletal muscle, ie deep adipose tissue (DAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), skeletal muscle (M) and low attenuation skeletal muscle (LAM, range of attenuation values 0–34 Hounsfield units). LAM and DAT were used as indices of skeletal muscle fat content.

RESULTS: FATOXmax, adjusted for age, was correlated with FFM (r=0.25, P<0.05), LAM (r=0.28, P<0.05), DAT (r=0.23, P<0.05), abdominal visceral adipose tissue (r=0.26, P<0.05) and plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels (r=0.36, P<0.05) but not with SAT (r=0.07). In a stepwise linear multiple regression, plasma FFA, age and LAM significantly predicted FATOXmax (r2=0.27). Each independent variable explained about 9% of the FATOXmax variance.

CONCLUSION: LAM makes a significant but weak contribution to the modulation of fat oxidation during submaximal exercise in obese men.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff of the two laboratories that were involved in this project for their dedicated work. This work supported by Parke-Davis protocol 710-247 (Gel study). Martine Dumont is the recipient of a fellowship from the Fond de la recherche en santé du Québec-Fond pour la formation de chercheurs et l'aide à la recherche (FRSQ-FCAR santé).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center and Department of Food Science and Nutrition, CRML, CHUL, Laval University, Quebec, Canada

    O Dériaz, N Bergeron & J-P Després

  2. Division of Kinesiology, Department of Social and Preventative Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada

    M Dumont

  3. School of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    M Brochu

  4. School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    D Prud'homme

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  1. O Dériaz
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Correspondence to D Prud'homme.

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Dériaz, O., Dumont, M., Bergeron, N. et al. Skeletal muscle low attenuation area and maximal fat oxidation rate during submaximal exercise in male obese individuals. Int J Obes 25, 1579–1584 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801809

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