Effect of exercise intensity on abdominal fat loss during calorie restriction in overweight and obese postmenopausal women: a randomized, controlled trial.

Description

The objective of this study was to determine whether intensity of aerobic exercise training affects the loss of abdominal adipose tissue and improvements of cardiovascular disease risk factors under controlled conditions of equal energy deficit in postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity. The average weight loss for the 95 women who completed the study was 12.1 kg and was similar across the three study subgroups (calorie restriction only, calorie restriction + moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and calorie restriction + vigorous-intensity exercise). The loss of relative lean body mass was greater in the calorie restriction group as compared to the two exercise groups. Reduction in intra-abdominal (visceral) adiposity was similar across groups. Moreover, changes in lipids, fasting glucose or insulin and 2-hour glucose and insulin areas during the glucose load were similar across treatment groups. Although equal calorie restriction with/without exercise was associated with comparable decreases in intra-abdominal adipose tissue, exercise was associated with preservation of lean body mass.