Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats
Published on: April 28, 2023
Short-term moderate exercise provides long-lasting protective effects against metabolic dysfunction in rats fed a
Laize Peron Tófolo1, Tatiane Aparecida da Silva Ribeiro1, Ananda Malta1
1Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology - Block H67, Room 19, Department of Biotechnology, Genetics and Cell Biology, State University of Maringá, Colombo Avenue 5970, Maringá, PR, 87020-900, Brazil.
Introduction:
A sedentary lifestyle and high-fat feeding are risk factors for cardiometabolic disorders. This study determined whether moderate exercise training prevents the cardiometabolic changes induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).
Materials And Methods:
Sixty-day-old rats were subjected to moderate exercise three times a week for 30 days. After that, trained rats received a HFD (EXE-HFD) or a commercial normal diet (EXE-NFD) for 30 more days. Sedentary animals also received the diets (SED-HFD and SED-NFD). Food intake and body weight were measured weekly. After 120 days of life, analyses were performed. Data were analysed with two-way ANOVA and the Tukey post-test.
Results:
Body weight gain induced by HFD was attenuated in trained animals. HFD reduced food intake by approximately 30% and increased body fat stores by approximately 75%. Exercise attenuated 80% of the increase in fat pads and increased 24% of soleus muscle mass in NFD animals. HFD induced a hyper-response to glucose injection, and exercise attenuated this response by 50%. Blood pressure was increased by HFD, and the beneficial effect of exercise in reducing blood pressure was inhibited by HFD. HFD increased vagal activity by 65% in SED-HFD compared with SED-NFD rats, and exercise blocked this increase. HFD reduced sympathetic activity and inhibited the beneficial effect of exercise on ameliorating sympathetic activity.
Conclusion:
Four weeks of moderate exercise at low frequency was able to prevent the metabolic changes induced by a HFD but not the deleterious effects of diet on the cardiovascular system.
