Physical training resulted in an improvement in insulin sensitivity with concomitant loss of VAT and should be included in the treatment program for patients with NIDDM.

Twenty-five competitive wrestlers restricted their caloric intake (28 kcal.kg-1.day-1) for 19 days, using a hypocaloric control (hC, n = 6), hypocaloric high-protein (hHP, n = 7), hypocaloric high-branched-chain amino acid (hBCAA, n = 6), hypocaloric low-protein (hLP, n = 6) diet to determine the effects of caloric restriction on body composition and performances versus control diet (C, n = 6). Anthropometric parameters (weight, percent body fat) and adipose tissue (AT) distribution measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained before and after diet, were compared. A significant highest body weight loss (-4 kg, p < 0.05) and decrease in the percent of body fat (-17.3%, p < 0.05) were observed for subjects of the hBCAA group. Subjects of the hBCAA group exhibited a significant reduction (-34.4%, p < 0.05) in abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT). There was no change in aerobic (VO2max) (p > 0.75) and anaerobic capacities (Wingate test) (p > 0.81), and in muscular strength (p > 0.82). We conclude that under our experimental conditions, the combination of moderate energy restriction and BCAA supplementation induced significant and preferential losses of VAT, and allowed maintainance of a high level of performance.

Accumulation of visceral adipose tissue is associated with metabolic complications such as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of abdominal adipose tissue on insulin sensitivity in subjects with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Areas of abdominal fat were calculated from axial magnetic resonance images obtained at the level of the umbilicus in 21 men with NIDDM [age, 45.6 +/- 8.3 (+/-SD) yr; body mass index, 29.3 +/- 4.5 kg/m(-2); total body fat (skinfold thickness), 26.8 +/- 5.4%; waist to hip ratio, 0.97 +/- 0.07; duration of diabetes, 59 +/- 47 months; hemoglobin A1c, 8.1 +/- 1.5%]. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by an insulin tolerance test. The areas of deep abdominal fat and sc abdominal fat were, respectively, 135.3 +/- 55.1 and 211.8 +/- 99.1 cm2. The blood glucose disappearance rate was 2.11 +/- 0.87%/min and was negatively related to deep abdominal fat (r = 0.72; P = 0.0025). In contrast, areas of sc abdominal fat, total body fat, body mass index, and waist to hip ratio were not related to the blood glucose disappearance rate. Plasma triglyceride concentrations averaged 1.8 +/- 0.8 mmol/L and were positively related to deep abdominal fat (r = 0.69; P = 0.0018). We conclude that insulin sensitivity is strongly related to visceral adipose tissue accumulation in NIDDM.

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