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A new has study explored the body's early response to strength training, focusing specifically on changes in fat tissue before any weight loss could influence the findings. The research adds to nearly two decades of work examining how physical activity influences metabolic health.
Researchers found that after just 7 days of strength training, processes were activated in obese mice that help break down fat, lowered visceral fat levels around the intestinal tract, and decreased the size of cells that store fat, while body weight remained unchanged.
For the study, male mice ate either a conventional diet or one that was high-fat to cause obesity. The mice that became obese were then separated into one of two groups. One group remained inactive, while the other participated in strength training for one week. Since both groups kept eating the same diet that was high-fat, researchers could examine the effects of exercise without weight loss being a factor.
The mice's strength-training routine involved repeatedly climbing a staircase with a weight on their tail. Each workout included 20 staircase climbs at 70% of their maximum capacity, followed by brief rest periods. They completed seven workouts over the course of the study.
The seven-day training period was intentional to let the researchers see how strength training affected fat tissue before weight loss could influence the results. Keeping body weight stable allowed them to get a clearer picture of what exercise alone was doing in the body.
The mice that exercised didn't lose weight after seven days, but their bodies were already changing. Their mesenteric fat had decreased and they had smaller fat-storing cells than the obese mice that were sedentary. That's significant because enlarged fat cells are linked to chronic inflammation and related health problems.
Fat cell size can make a difference to metabolic health. When these cells become too large, they can become stressed and produce substances that contribute to inflammation. This study suggests that strength training may help reverse some of these changes by shrinking fat cells, even before the scale moves.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Strength training induces ABHD5-ATGL axis to counteract mesenteric fat accumulation in obese Swiss mice
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