Managing Cardiometabolic Risk

Exercise and Abdominal Obesity

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While weight loss remains the hopeful outcome of chronic exercise in overweight individuals, evidence suggests that even when body weight is unchanged, regular exercise can markedly reduce abdominal fat (25, 26, 28). For example, approximately two months of regular, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise significantly reduced intra-abdominal fat (-41 to -45%) despite there being no change in weight in samples of type 2 diabetics (29, 30). Even non-obese premenopausal women experienced a significant reduction in intra-abdominal fat (-25%) in response to six months of aerobic exercise despite no significant change in weight (31). Several studies have specifically examined the effect of regular exercise on abdominal adiposity when weight is maintained by having study participants consume compensatory kilocalories equivalent to the amount expended during exercise in an effort to maintain weight (25, 26, 28). The length of each intervention was roughly three months, with an energy expenditure of approximately 3,500 kcal/wk. The main findings suggest that in obese Caucasian men and women and men with type 2 diabetes, exercise training can significantly reduce total and abdominal obesity even though there may be little or no change in body weight.

Reference

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25. Ross R, Dagnone D, Jones PJ, et al. Reduction in obesity and related comorbid conditions after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2000; 133: 92-103.

26. Ross R, Janssen I, Dawson J, et al. Exercise-induced reduction in obesity and insulin resistance in women: a randomized controlled trial. Obes Res 2004; 12: 789-98.

28. Lee S, Kuk JL, Davidson LE, et al. Exercise without weight loss is an effective strategy for obesity reduction in obese individuals with and without Type 2 diabetes. J Appl Physiol 2005; 99: 1220-5.

29. Boudou P, Sobngwi E, Mauvais-Jarvis F, et al. Absence of exercise-induced variations in adiponectin levels despite decreased abdominal adiposity and improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic men. Eur J Endocrinol 2003; 149: 421-4.

30. Mourier A, Gautier JF, De Kerviler E, et al. Mobilization of visceral adipose tissue related to the improvement in insulin sensitivity in response to physical training in NIDDM. Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplements. Diabetes Care 1997; 20: 385-91.

31. Thomas EL, Brynes AE, McCarthy J, et al. Preferential loss of visceral fat following aerobic exercise, measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Lipids 2000; 35: 769-76.

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