Long term (3 years) weight loss after low intensity endurance training targeted at the level of maximal muscular lipid oxidation

Abstract

Among various strategies of exercise intensification proposed for the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes, endurance training remains a well recognized procedure. When targeted with exercise calorimetry at levels where lipid oxidation is maximal (LIPOXmax), it has been shown to improve mitochondrial respiration, blood glucose control and blood lipids, low grade inflammation and body composition, even at low weekly volume. We investigated in this study its long term effects over 3 years (3x45 min/week) compared to low fat diet without exercise (LFD) and a control group without any exercise or diet (C). 88 subjects that continued LIPOXmax training more than 1 year (23 men, 65 women, age=20-85 years, body mass index =23-48 kg/m 2 ) were compared to two matched groups (C and LFD). While C gained weight over this period, LFD and LIPOXmax group lose weight. Weight loss at 1 year was the same in exercise and diet group, but at 2 years and even more at 3 years there was a gradual weight regain in LFD so that results were better (p<0.01) in the exercise group who maintained weight loss in 80% of subjects. Average weight loss was -2,95 ± 0,37 kg after 3 months, -4,56 ± 0,68 kg after 1 year, -5,31 ± 1,26 kg at 2 years and -8,49 ± 2,39 kg at 3 years. The level at which LIPOXmax occurs is a predictor of weight loss at 1 year (r=-0,346 p<0,001) but not at 2 and 3 years. Weight loss at 3 months is a predictor of weight loss at 1 year (r=0,523 p<0,001) but not at 2 and 3 years. At 1 year subjects with LIPOX max in the lower quartile (<35% VO2max n=23) lose less weight than the others (-2.3 ± 0.98 vs -5.4 ± 0.83 p=0,05) but this difference vanishes over time. This study shows that this low intensity exercise training maintains its weight-reducing effect 3 years while diet is no longer efficient, and that this effect is initially related to muscular ability to oxidize lipids but that metabolic and behavioral adaptations have been further developed and contribute to a long lasting effect.By contrast, low intensity endurance, that promotes lipid oxidation, has been proposed since almost twenty years as a promising strategy against obesity [8][9][10][11][12] .When targeted with exercise calorimetry at levels where lipid oxidation is maximal (LIPOXmax), it has been shown to improve mitochondrial respiration [13], blood glucose control and blood lipids, low grade inflammation and body composition, even at low weekly volume [14]. Surprisingly, this approach generated less literature, perhaps because its weight-reducing effects over the short term, although significant, were not spectacular.However, its prolonged use has been shown to result in a sustained weight loss [15] which contrasts with the quite constant weight regain observed in almost all classical strategies [16]. In this study we aimed at determining over 3 years the kinetics of weight evolution of patients trained with low volumes of low intensity exercise targeted by exercise calorimetry in comparison with controls who did not change their lifestyle and class...

Physiological response and cardiorespiratory adaptation after a 6-week Nordic Walking training targeted at lipid oxidation in a group of post-menopausal women

“…Considering age-related changes in body composition, namely progressive reductions in lean body mass and increases in adipose tissue [32][33][34], such an intensity of NW training in older people seems to be particularly beneficial health-wise [24]. What is interesting, the study conducted by Drapier et al [35] showed that the effects of LIPOXmax training continue to improve body composition within 3 years. The results of our study suggest that the applied procedure is likely to have this effect.…”

Erectile dysfunction, physical activity and physical exercise: Recommendations for clinical practice

“…Furthermore, patients have worse compliance to intensive protocols (Garber et al, ). For these reasons, especially in obese patients, a low‐intensity endurance training targeted at maximal muscular lipid oxidation could be prescribed (Drapier et al, ).…”

Exercise targeted at the level of maximal lipid oxidation (LIPOXmax) improves weight loss, decreases orexigenic pulsions and increases satiety after sleeve gastrectomy

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