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Heterogeneity in Total Body Fat Changes After Aerobic Exercise Training is Similar in Women With Lower and Higher Amounts of Body Fat
Author(s) -
Sawyer Brandon,
Bhammar Dharini,
Angadi Siddhartha,
Ryan Dana,
Ryder Justin,
Gaesser Glenn
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1142.17
Subject(s) - body fat percentage , fat mass , aerobic exercise , medicine , endocrinology , fat accumulation , treadmill , classification of obesity , adipose tissue , chemistry , zoology , obesity , biology
Aerobic exercise training in women typically results in minimal fat loss, with a significant percentage of women actually gaining body fat. We hypothesized that heterogeneity in body fat changes after training would be independent of initial % body fat. Seventy‐three non‐vigorously active women (age: 30.5 ± 7.9 yrs; ht: 164.7 ± 7.5 cm; wt: 67.2 ± 14.4 kg; %fat: 37.5 ± 8.7) underwent Dual X‐ray Absorptiometry (DXA) before and after a 12‐wk exercise training program of treadmill walking 3 days/wk for 30 min at 70% of VO 2 max. For all women combined, % body fat was reduced modestly after training (−0.53%; P = 0.02). Women with the lowest baseline body fat (LF: n=37; %fat = 30.2 ± 5.2%) and highest baseline body fat (HF: n=36; %fat = 44.5 ± 4.8%) did not differ with regard to changes in %fat (LF = −0.28 ± 1.6%; HF = − 0.78 ± 2.1%; P = 0.27) or total fat mass (LF = −0.04 ± 1.3 kg; HF = −0.76 ± 2.5 kg; P = 0.14). Leg fat was reduced by more in HF (HF = −0.93 ± 2.9 kg; LF = +0.21 ± 1.8 kg; P < 0.05), indicating greater reduction in gynoid fat pattern in HF (HF = −1.88 ± 2.0%; LF = − 0.04 ± 2.0%; P < 0.01). Both groups had marked heterogeneity in fat changes, with 50% of LF and 39% of HF gaining total body fat after training. Our results suggest that regardless of initial body fat, aerobic exercise training in women is characterized by “losers” and “gainers” in total body fat. Women with high initial body fat may be more likely to lose lower body fat and have a reduced gynoid fat pattern.