Inactivity, exercise, and visceral fat. STRRIDE: a randomized, controlled study of exercise intensity and amount.
Despite the importance of randomized, dose-response studies for proper evaluation of effective clinical interventions, there have been no dose-response studies on the effects of exercise amount on abdominal obesity, a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. One hundred seventy-five sedentary, overweight men and women with mild to moderate dyslipidemia were randomly assigned to participate for 6 mo in a control group or for approximately 8 mo in one of three exercise groups: 1) low amount, moderate intensity, equivalent to walking 12 miles/wk (19.2 km) at 40-55% of peak oxygen consumption; 2) low amount, vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 12 miles/wk at 65-80% of peak oxygen consumption; or 3) high amount, vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 20 miles/wk (32.0 km). Computed tomography scans were analyzed for abdominal fat. Controls gained visceral fat (8.6 +/- 17.2%; P = 0.001). The equivalent of 11 miles of exercise per week, at either intensity, prevented significant accumulation of visceral fat. The highest amount of exercise resulted in decreased visceral (-6.9 +/- 20.8%; P = 0.038) and subcutaneous (-7.0 +/- 10.8%; P < 0.001) abdominal fat. Significant gains in visceral fat over only 6 mo emphasize the high cost of continued inactivity. A modest exercise program, consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control/American College of Sports Medicine (CDC/ACSM), prevented significant increases in visceral fat. Importantly, a modest increase over the CDC/ACSM exercise recommendations resulted in significant decreases in visceral, subcutaneous, and total abdominal fat without changes in caloric intake.
Slentz
Cris A
CA
Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Aiken
Lori B
LB
Houmard
Joseph A
JA
Bales
Connie W
CW
Johnson
Johanna L
JL
Tanner
Charles J
CJ
Duscha
Brian D
BD
Kraus
William E
WE
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012146:Rest; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012420:Running; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014781:Viscera; D016138:Walking