Effects of Weight Loss vs Aerobic Exercise Training on Risk Factors for Coronary Disease in Healthy, Obese, Middle-aged and Older Men

There is limited evidence on the impact of weight loss via caloric restriction and aerobic exercise on Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), a health assessment tool used by the American Heart Association to promote and track cardiovascular health (CVH) via modifiable risk factors and health behaviors. Individuals with obesity have a greater prevalence of traditional and non-traditional cardiometabolic risk factors than lean individuals. Objective: Examine the effect of a weight loss intervention on LS7 and assess predictors of change in adults with obesity. Methods: Twenty-six adults (44.9 ± 9.7 years; weight: 93.9 ± 11.1 kg; body mass index: 34.1 ± 3.4 kg/m 2 ) participated in a 10-week medical weight loss program (OPTIFAST) and supervised exercise training program (50-75% VO 2 max) to achieve clinically significant weight loss (≥7% body weight). Poor, intermediate, and ideal CVH categories were defined as scores 0 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 14, respectively. Baseline and post-weight loss LS7 scores were calculated via participant demographics, smoking status, anthropometry, physical activity level, diet intake, and blood lab reports. Paired samples t-test and Pearson’s correlations were used. Results: Mean weight loss was significant (-9.2 ± 3.6 kg, p < 0.001). Mean LS7 score significantly increased from baseline to weight loss (7.3 ± 1.5 vs. 9.6 ± 1.2, respectively, p < 0.001) and 57.7% of participants (15 of 26) improved to ideal CVH following weight loss. A significant inverse association was observed between change in LS7 and systolic blood pressure ( r = -0.41, p < 0.05), total cholesterol ( r = -0.45, p < 0.05), and glucose ( r = -0.41, p < 0.05). There were no further significant relationships with LS7 (i.e. change in weight, body mass index, physical activity, diastolic blood pressure). Discussion: A combined caloric restriction and aerobic exercise training intervention improved a multitude of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Previous epidemiological studies indicate meeting the ideal LS7 metrics is associated with 78% and 49% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, respectively. Thus, the long-term modification of health behaviors and cardiometabolic risk factors to achieve ideal cardiovascular health may reduce risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in individuals with obesity.

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Distinct effects of aerobic exercise training and weight loss on glucose homeostasis in obese sedentary men

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.318 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 318-325 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

D. R. Dengel ◽

R. E. Pratley ◽

J. M. Hagberg ◽

E. M. Rogus ◽

A. P. Goldberg

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Glucose Tolerance ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Glucose Homeostasis ◽

Insulin Response ◽

Older Men ◽

Aerobic Exercise Training ◽

Oral Glucose

The decline in glucose homeostasis with aging may be due to the physical deconditioning and obesity that often develop with aging. The independent and combined effects of aerobic exercise training (AEX) and weight loss (WL) on glucose metabolism were studied in 47 nondiabetic sedentary older men. There were 14 men in a weekly behavioral modification/WL program, 10 in a 3 times/wk AEX program, 14 in an AEX+WL program, and 9 in the control (Con) group. The 10-mo intervention increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) in both the AEX and AEX+WL groups [0.33 +/- 0.05 and 0.37 +/- 0.09 (SE) l/min, respectively], but VO2max did not significantly change in the WL (0.01 +/- 0.06 l/min) and Con groups (-0.04 +/- 0.05 l/min; P > 0.05). The AEX+WL and WL groups had comparable reductions in body weight (-8.5 +/- 0.9 and -8.8 +/- 1.2 kg, respectively) and percent fat (-5.5 +/- 0.7 and -5.9 +/- 1.1%, respectively) that were significantly greater than those in the Con and AEX groups. Oral glucose tolerance tests showed significant reductions in insulin responses in the AEX, WL, and AEX+WL groups, but the decrease in insulin response in the AEX+WL group was significantly greater than that in the other three groups. The glucose area decreased significantly in the WL and AEX+WL groups but did not change in the Con or AEX groups. There were significant increases in insulin-mediated glucose disposal rates as measured by the hyperinsulinemic (600 pmol.m-2.min-1) euglycemic clamps in the AEX and AEX+WL groups [1.66 +/- 0.50 and 1.76 +/- 0.41 mg.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1.min-1, respectively] that were significantly greater than those in the WL (0.13 +/- 0.31 mg.kg FFM-1.min-1) and Con groups (-0.05 +/- 0.51 mg.kg FFM-1.min-1; n = 5). These data suggest that AEX and WL improve glucose metabolism through different mechanisms and that the combined intervention of AEX+WL is necessary to improve both glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in older men.

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Examining Bone, Muscle and Fat in Middle-Aged Long-Term Endurance Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9020522 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 522

Author(s):

Ulrike H. Mitchell ◽

Bruce Bailey ◽

Patrick J. Owen

Keyword(s):

Exercise Training ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Lean Mass ◽

Aerobic Exercise Training ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Endurance Runners ◽

Total Body

Aerobic exercise training has many known cardiovascular benefits that may promote healthy aging. It is not known if long-term aerobic exercise training is also associated with structural benefits (e.g., lower fat mass, higher areal bone mineral density (BMD) and greater muscle mass). We evaluated these parameters in middle-aged long-term endurance runners compared to sex-, age-, height-, and weight-matched non-running controls. Total and regional lean and fat mass and areal BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sagittal magnetic resonance images captured the cross-sectional area and thickness of the lumbar multifidus. Runners (n = 10; all male) had a mean (standard deviation; SD) age of 49 (4) years, height of 178.9 (4.9) cm, weight of 67.8 (5.8) kg, body mass index (BMI) of 21.4 (1.4) kg/m2 and had been running 82.6 (27.9) km/week for 23 (13) years. Controls (n = 9) had a mean (SD) age of 51 (5) years, height of 176.0 (5.1) cm, weight of 72.8 (7.1) kg, and BMI of 23.7 (2.1) kg/m2. BMI was greater in controls (p = 0.010). When compared to controls on average, runners had a 10 percentage-point greater total body lean mass than controls (p = 0.001) and 14% greater trunk lean mass (p = 0.010), as well as less total body (8.6 kg; p < 0.001), arm (58%; p = 0.002), leg (52%; p < 0.001), trunk (73%; p < 0.001), android (91%; p < 0.001), and gynoid fat mass (64%; p < 0.001). No differences were observed between groups for BMD outcomes or multifidus size. These results underscore the benefits of endurance running to body composition that carry over to middle-age.

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Effects of resistance or aerobic exercise training on total and regional body composition in sedentary overweight middle-aged adults

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/h2012-006 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 499-509 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cheyne E. Donges ◽

Rob Duffield

Keyword(s):

Exercise Training ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Body Mass ◽

Aerobic Fitness ◽

Fat Free Mass ◽

Aerobic Exercise Training ◽

Maximal Heart Rate ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Regional Body Composition ◽

Total Body

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 10 weeks of aerobic endurance training (AET), resistance exercise training (RET), or a control (CON) condition on absolute and relative fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM) in the total body (TB) and regions of interest (ROIs) of sedentary overweight middle-aged males and females. Following prescreening, 102 subjects underwent anthropometric measurements, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and strength and aerobic exercise testing. Randomized subjects (male RET, n = 16; female RET, n = 19; male AET, n = 16; and female AET, n = 25) completed supervised and periodized exercise programs (AET, 30–50 min cycling at 70%–75% maximal heart rate; RET, 2–4 sets × 8–10 repetitions of 5–7 exercises at 70%–75% 1 repetition maximum) or a nonexercising control condition (male CON, n = 13 and female CON, n = 13). Changes in absolute and relative TB-FM and TB-FFM and ROI-FM and ROI-FFM were determined. At baseline, and although matched for age and body mass index, males had greater strength, aerobic fitness, body mass, absolute and relative TB-FFM and ROI-FFM, but reduced absolute and relative TB-FM and ROI-FM, compared with females (p < 0.05). After training, both female exercise groups showed equivalent or greater relative improvements in strength and aerobic fitness than did the male exercise groups (p < 0.05); however, the male exercise groups increased TB-FFM and reduced TB-FM more than did the female exercise groups (p < 0.05). Male AET altered absolute FM more than male RET altered absolute FFM, thus resulting in a greater enhancement of relative FFM. Despite equivalent or greater responses to RET or AET by female subjects, the corresponding respective increases in FFM or reductions in FM were lower than those in males, indicating that a biased dose–response relationship exists between sexes following 10 weeks of exercise training.

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