Exercise with weight loss improves adipose tissue and skeletal muscle markers of fatty acid metabolism in postmenopausal women

Objective The effects of 6‐month weight loss (WL) versus aerobic exercise training (AEX)+WL on fat and skeletal muscle markers of fatty acid metabolism were determined in normal (NGT) and impaired (IGT) glucose tolerant African‐American and Caucasian postmenopausal women with overweight/obesity. Methods Fat (gluteal and abdominal) lipoprotein lipase (LPL), skeletal muscle LPL, acyl‐CoA synthase (ACS), ß‐hydroxacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT‐1), and citrate synthase (CS) activities were measured at baseline ( n  = 104) and before and after WL ( n  = 34) and AEX+WL ( n  = 37). Results After controlling for age and race, muscle LPL and CPT‐1 were lower in IGT, and the ratios of fat/muscle LPL activity were higher in IGT compared to NGT. Muscle LPL was related to insulin sensitivity (M value) and inversely related to G 120 , fasting insulin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. AEX+WL decreased abdominal fat LPL and increased muscle LPL, ACS, and CS. The ratios of fat/muscle LPL decreased after AEX+WL. The change in VO 2 max was related to the changes in LPL, ACS, and CS and inversely related to the changes in fat/muscle LPL activity ratios. Conclusions Six‐month AEX+WL, and not WL alone, is capable of enhancing skeletal muscle fatty acid metabolism in postmenopausal African‐American and Caucasian women with NGT, IGT, and overweight/obesity.