title: Effects of diet and exercise training on neurovascular control during mental stress in obese women.
abstract: Since neurovascular control is altered in obese subjects, we hypothesized that weight loss by diet (D) or diet plus exercise training (D + ET) would improve neurovascular control during mental stress in obese women. In a study with a dietary reduction of 600 kcal/day with or without exercise training for 4 months, 53 obese women were subdivided in D (N = 22, 33 +/- 1 years, BMI 34 +/- 1 kg/m2), D + ET (N = 22, 33 +/- 1 years, BMI 33 +/- 1 kg/m2), and nonadherent (NA, N = 9, 35 +/- 2 years, BMI 33 +/- 1 kg/m2) groups. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was measured by microneurography and forearm blood flow by venous occlusion plethysmography. Mental stress was elicited by a 3-min Stroop color word test. Weight loss was similar between D and D + ET groups (87 +/- 2 vs 79 +/- 2 and 85 +/- 2 vs 76 +/- 2 kg, respectively, P < 0.05) with a significant reduction in MSNA during mental stress (58 +/- 2 vs 50 +/- 2, P = 0.0001, and 59 +/- 3 vs 50 +/- 2 bursts/100 beats, P = 0.0001, respectively), although the magnitude of the response was unchanged. Forearm vascular conductance during mental stress was significantly increased only in D + ET (2.74 +/- 0.22 vs 3.52 +/- 0.19 units, P = 0.02). Weight loss reduces MSNA during mental stress in obese women. The increase in forearm vascular conductance after weight loss provides convincing evidence for D + ET interventions as a nonpharmacologic therapy of human obesity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tonacio
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Trombetta
authors.forename: M U P B
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Rondon
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Batalha
authors.forename: F H S
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kuniyoshi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Laterza
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: M M G
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gowdak
authors.forename: A C P
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Barretto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: S M F
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Villares
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Negrão
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010991:Plethysmography; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors