Investigation into the influence of food timing around exercise training and the effects on energy and metabolic health: Is it better to eat before or after exercise?

Background: Body composition is known to differ across metabolic health and weight phenotypes. Regular exercise improves body composition, yet little is known about differences in exercise response across metabolic health and weight phenotypes. Methods: Normal weight (n=376) and overweight/obese (OWOB) adults (n=456) from the HERITAGE Family Study (56% female, 38% Black) completed a 20-week endurance training program. Four groups based on baseline BMI and metabolic risk were created: metabolically healthy normal weight, MHNW; metabolically unhealthy normal weight, MUNW; metabolically healthy OWOB, MHO; and metabolically unhealthy OWOB, MUO. Unhealthy was defined as having ≥2 metabolic syndrome components. General linear models tested for differences in baseline and change in measures of body composition (fat mass [FM], fat-free mass [FFM], % body fat [%BF], visceral fat) after adjusting for age, sex, and ethnicity (and baseline value in change models). Results: Table 1 shows adjusted mean baseline and change in body composition values by group. Baseline body composition tended to track with weight status, with NW adults having lower FM, %BF, and visceral fat compared to obese adults (p<0.05), regardless of metabolic health. However, the MHO group had lower baseline values of these traits compared to MUO (p<0.05). Body composition measures significantly improved with exercise training in all groups, however, the magnitude of change differed between groups. For example, both NW groups had larger decreases in %BF compared to the obese groups, with MUNW showing the largest decrease. Conversely, MHNW showed the largest decrease in visceral fat, which was greater than both obese groups, but change in visceral fat was similar between MHO and MUNW. Conclusions: Normal weight adults tended to have better body composition profiles at baseline and larger improvements with exercise compared to obese adults, regardless of metabolic health. Within weight groups, body composition improved regardless of metabolic health status.

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Associations between Plasma Branched Chain Amino Acids and Health Biomarkers in Response to Resistance Exercise Training Across Age

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12103029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 3029

Author(s):

Mariwan H. Sayda ◽

Bethan E. Phillips ◽

John P. Williams ◽

Paul L. Greenhaff ◽

Daniel J. Wilkinson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Branched Chain Amino Acids ◽

Metabolic Health ◽

Whole Body ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Resistance Exercise Training ◽

Fasting Plasma ◽

Branched Chain

Leucine, isoleucine and valine (i.e., the branched chain amino acids, BCAA) play a key role in the support of tissue protein regulation and can be mobilized as energy substrates during times of starvation. However, positive relationships exist between elevated levels of BCAA and insulin resistance (IR). Thus, we sought to investigate the links between fasting plasma BCAA following a progressive resistance exercise training (RET) programme, an intervention known to improve metabolic health. Fasting plasma BCAA were quantified in adults (young: 18–28 y, n = 8; middle-aged: 45–55 y, n = 9; older: 65–75 y, n = 15; BMI: 23–28 kg/m2, both males and females (~50:50), in a cross-sectional, intervention study. Participants underwent 20-weeks whole-body RET. Measurements of body composition, muscle strength (1-RM) and metabolic health biomarkers (e.g., HOMA-IR) were made at baseline and post-RET. BCAA concentrations were determined by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). No associations were observed across age with BCAA; however, RET elicited (p < 0.05) increases in plasma BCAA (all age-groups), while HOMA-IR scores reduced (p < 0.05) following RET. After RET, positive correlations in lean body mass (p = 0.007) and strength gains (p = 0.001) with fasting BCAA levels were observed. Elevated BCAA are not a robust marker of ageing nor IR in those with a healthy BMI; rather, despite decreasing IR, RET was associated with increased BCAA.

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Unsupervised Exercise Training Was Not Found to Improve the Metabolic Health or Phenotype over a 6-Month Dietary Intervention: A Randomised Controlled Trial with an Embedded Economic Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18158004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (15) ◽

pp. 8004

Author(s):

Wendy Hens ◽

Dirk Vissers ◽

Nick Verhaeghe ◽

Jan Gielen ◽

Luc Van Gaal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Economic Analysis ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Metabolic Health ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Fat Deposition ◽

Hypocaloric Diet ◽

Ectopic Fat ◽

Ectopic Fat Deposition

Ectopic fat leads to metabolic health problems. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of a hypocaloric diet intervention together with an unsupervised exercise training program in comparison with a hypocaloric diet alone to reduce ectopic fat deposition. Sixty-one premenopausal women with overweight or obesity participated in this controlled trial and were each randomised into either a usual care group (hypocaloric diet) or intervention group (hypocaloric diet + unsupervised exercise training). Ectopic fat deposition, metabolic parameters, incremental costs from a societal perspective and incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were assessed before, during and after the six-month intervention period. In the total sample, there was a significant decrease in visceral adipose tissue (VAT: −18.88 cm², 95% CI −11.82 to −25.95), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAT: −46.74 cm², 95% CI −29.76 to −63.18), epicardial fat (ECF: −14.50 cm³, 95% CI −10.9 to −18.98) and intrahepatic lipid content (IHL: −3.53%, 95% CI −1.72 to −5.32). Consequently, an “adapted” economic analysis revealed a non-significant decrease in costs and an increase in QALYs after the intervention. No significant differences were found between groups. A multidisciplinary lifestyle approach seems successful in reducing ectopic fat deposition and improving the metabolic risk profile in women with overweight and obesity. The addition of unsupervised exercise training did not further improve the metabolic health or phenotype over the six months.

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Abstract P270: Effects of Exercise Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Biomarkers of Cardio-metabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.131.suppl_1.p270 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiaochen Lin ◽

Xi Zhang ◽

Jianjun Guo ◽

Christian K Roberts ◽

Steve McKenzie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Metabolic Health ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Exercise Interventions ◽

Randomized Controlled

Context: Current guidelines recommend exercise for optimal cardiovascular health, although evidence from intervention trials linking exercise to cardiovascular health through intermediate biomarkers remains inconsistent. Objective: To perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to quantify the impact of exercise training on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and a variety of standard and novel biomarkers for cardio-metabolic health in adults without cardiovascular disease (CVD). Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1965 to March 2014. Study Selection: Two investigators (X. Lin and X. Zhang) selected 159 RCTs (7,282 participants) that evaluated the effects of exercise interventions on CRF and circulating CVD biomarkers. Data Extraction: Data were extracted by two researchers using a standardized protocol. Data Synthesis: In the primary analysis, DerSimonian and Laird random-effect models were used to compute weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) comparing exercise groups to control groups. In addition, effect modifications were examined using meta-regression and subgroup analyses stratified by pre-specified potential modifiers, including age, sex, body mass index, lifestyle, health status, and trial duration. Exercise training significantly improved CRF, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, systematic inflammation, and hemostasis. ( Table ) We also found that exercise effects were modified by age, sex, and health status such that people under 50 years, men, and people with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or metabolic syndrome appeared to benefit more from exercise interventions. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that exercise training significantly improved CRF and some biomarkers of cardio-metabolic health. Significant effect modifications were also identified by age, sex, and health status.

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