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Moderate exercise in young female S5B/P1 rats does not reduce body fat
R A Schemmel1, S H Hannum, J A Rosekrans
1Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1224.
Physiology & Behavior
|September 1, 1992
Summary
Exercise benefits bone density in rats, regardless of diet. While exercised rats gained more weight and fat-free mass, their overall body fat percentage remained similar to unexercised groups.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology
- Nutritional science
- Bone biology
Background:
- Diet composition (high-fat vs. high-carbohydrate) influences body composition and bone health.
- Exercise is a known modulator of metabolic and skeletal adaptations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined effects of diet and exercise on body composition and bone characteristics in weanling rats.
- To determine if exercise can mitigate potential negative effects of diet on skeletal development.
Main Methods:
- Weanling female rats were assigned to four groups: high-fat diet/exercised (FE), high-fat diet/unexercised (FU), high-carbohydrate diet/exercised (CE), and high-carbohydrate diet/unexercised (CU).
- Exercised groups underwent progressive treadmill training for 30 days.
- Body weight, food intake, body composition (including fat-free mass and percent body fat), organ weights, and tibia characteristics (weight and density) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Exercised rats, irrespective of diet, exhibited significantly higher body weight and fat-free mass compared to unexercised rats.
- Percent body fat was comparable between exercised and unexercised groups.
- Tibia density was significantly higher in exercised rats (p < 0.01) compared to unexercised rats.
- Tibia weight differences were diet-dependent, with CU rats showing heavier tibias than FU rats, but no significant difference between CE and FE rats.
Conclusions:
- Exercise training enhances bone density in growing rats, independent of dietary fat or carbohydrate content.
- Exercise positively influences body weight and fat-free mass accrual.
- The skeletal benefits of exercise, particularly in terms of bone density, are substantial and warrant further investigation in various physiological contexts.