Aerobic exercise attenuates the loss of skeletal muscle during energy restriction in adults with visceral adiposity.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of energy restriction with or without aerobic exercise on thigh muscle mass and quality in adults with visceral adiposity.


METHODS
75 males and females were randomly assigned to the groups 'diet only' (DO; n = 42) or 'diet plus aerobic exercise' (D/Ex; n = 33) for 12 weeks. The target energy intake in both groups was 25 kcal/kg of ideal body weight. Subjects in the D/Ex group were instructed to exercise for ≥300 min/week at lactate threshold. Computed tomography was used to measure thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), normal-density muscle area (NDMA), and visceral fat area.


RESULTS
Total body weight (DO: -6.6 ± 3.6%; D/Ex: -7.3 ± 4.6%) and visceral fat (DO: -16.0 ± 13.8%; D/Ex: -23.1 ± 14.7%) decreased significantly in both groups; however, the changes were not significantly different between the two groups. The decrease in muscle CSA was significantly greater in the DO group (-5.1 ± 4.5%) compared with the D/Ex group (-2.5 ± 5.0%). NDMA decreased significantly in the DO (-4.9 ± 4.9%) but not in the D/Ex group (-1.4 ± 5.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic exercise attenuated the loss of skeletal muscle during energy restriction in adults with visceral adiposity.
Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Eiichi
E
Yoshimura
Hideaki
H
Kumahara
Takuro
T
Tobina
Takuro
T
Matsuda
Kiwa
K
Watabe
Sakiko
S
Matono
Makoto
M
Ayabe
Akira
A
Kiyonaga
Keizo
K
Anzai
Yasuki
Y
Higaki
Hiroaki
H
Tanaka
D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000178:diet therapy; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*