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Background: Obesity is related to negative changes in insulin resistance and liver enzymes and is associated with the risk factor for the development of type II diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A number of studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise shows promise for disease prevention and treatment in this population. Aim: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a walking exercise program with self-selected intensity on insulin resistance and liver enzymes in obese women. Methods: Forty-eight obese women (47.8 ± 8.4 years; 88.1 ± 12.0 kg; 158.0 ± 0.1 cm) were divided into two groups: control group (CG; n = 23) and self-selected walking group (SSWG; n = 25). Before and after the exercise program, all subjects underwent anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected. The intervention consisted of a walking exercise program with self-selected intensity for 12 weeks (3 times/week, totalizing 36 sessions). Results: After the exercise program, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA improved only in the SSWG (p < 0.05), but there were no differences between groups (p > 0.05). In addition, there were no differences in liver enzymes after the intervention in both groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results support that a walking exercise program with self-selected intensity improved insulin resistance in obese women. Thus, exercise programs with self-selected intensity seem to be an interesting alternative for improving health and preventing diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobic exercise training (AER) may promote several adaptations in white adipose tissue (WAT), including a phenotypic change known as browning. The present study aimed at assessing if resistance exercise training (RES) would be as efficient as AER in inducing a brown-like adipocyte reprogramming in WAT. Thirty Swiss male mice were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 animals each: 1) sedentary (SED), 2) AER, and 3) RES. After the adaptation training, an incremental test was performed at the beginning of each week to adjust training load. Mice were submitted to 8 wk of AER or RES. After the experimental period, inguinal and retroperitoneal WAT (iWAT and rpWAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) were collected. The prescription of AER and RES was effective in increasing the performance of both groups. Also, RES presented a lower body weight than AER/SED. AER and RES reduced the area of iWAT and rpWAT adipocytes and the lipid area of BAT, induced an increase of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), and increased the expression of selective genes of brown and beige phenotype in adipocytes after 8 wk. In general, we demonstrated here that AER and RES training similarly induced the browning of iWAT and rpWAT. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Aerobic exercise training (AER) induces the browning of white adipose tissue, turning adipocytes multilocular, highly vascularized and expressing uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1). The current study compared the efficiency of resistance to aerobic exercise training to promote a brown-like phenotype. Our results suggest that both types of training similarly induce subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue browning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify the maximum number of repetitions, fatigue index, blood lactate concentration ([Lac]), and cardiac autonomic responses after LED irradiation (LEDI) in the ipsilateral and contralateral limb. Twelve male subjects (22.0 ± 3.86 years; weight 82.94 ± 12.58 kg; height 1.77 ± 0.05 m), physically active, took part in this study. The subjects underwent a one repetition maximum (1RM) test and performed four randomly experimental sessions in the horizontal leg press exercise, which consisted in four sets of maximum repetitions at 80% of 1RM. The subjects performed two experimental sessions applying LED active or placebo on ipsilateral limb and two experimental sessions applying LED active or placebo on contralateral limb prior exercise and in the interval of sets on quadriceps and hamstrings muscles. A number of repetitions and fatigue index were verified. [Lac] and heart rate variability (HRV) were collected during post-exercise recovery and analyzed. It was observed that active LEDI promoted an increase in maximal number of repetitions (LEDI = 44.4 ± 9.0 vs placebo = 39.9 ± 11.4; p < 0.05) and decreases the fatigue index (LEDI = 34.3 ± 21.8% vs placebo = 50.0 ± 26.6%; p < 0.05) comparing to placebo situation, only in the ipsilateral application. There were no differences on [Lac] and in HRV parameters comparing LEDI vs placebo on post-exercise recovery in both applications (p > 0.05). The LEDI improves performance only in the ipsilateral application, but there were no differences on [Lac] and cardiac autonomic responses after exercise for both the applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum: Health Sciences is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum: Biological Sciences is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Testicular morphology in obese and sedentary Wistar rats submitted to physical training. The aim of this study was to morphologically evaluate the effects of the cafeteria diet and physical training on the testicles of adult Wistar rats. Adult male rats were divided into groups (sedentary-control, sedentary-cafeteria, trained-control, and trainedcafeteria) In order to state the obesity condition both the Lee index and the weight of retroperitoneal and periepididymal adipose tissues were calculated. The testicular analysis involved the gonad weight and after the histological processing the Hematoxylin-Eosin staining parameters of tubular diameter, height of seminiferous epithelium, identification of the cellular sorts in the seminiferous tubules, counting of cells and overall output of spermatogenesis were done. The significant increase in the Lee index and the adipose tissue weight, in groups which received the cafeteria diet, stated the obesity condition indicating that this model is adequate to induce experimental obesity. There was no effect either from diet or training on the testicular weight, tubular diameter and height of seminiferous epithelium and also no difference in the histological organization of testicles and semineferous tubules. After cellular quantification and being calculated both mitotic and meiotic index and total capacity of Sertoli cells, it was verified a positive effect of the physical training, regardless of diet, on the overall output of spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gluconeogenesis overstimulation due to hepatic insulin resistance is the best-known mechanism behind elevated glycemia in obese subjects with hepatic steatosis. This suggests that glucose production in fatty livers may differ from that of healthy livers, also in response to other gluconeogenic determinant factors, such as the type of substrate and modulators. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of these factors on hepatic gluconeogenesis in cafeteria diet-induced obese adult rats submitted to a cafeteria diet at a young age. The livers of the cafeteria group exhibited higher gluconeogenesis rates when glycerol was the substrate, but lower rates were found when lactate and pyruvate were the substrates. Stearate or glucagon caused higher stimulations in gluconeogenesis in cafeteria group livers, irrespective of the gluconeogenic substrates. An increased mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio and a reduced rate of 14CO2 production from [14C] fatty acids suggested restriction of the citric acid cycle. The higher glycogen and lipid levels were possibly the cause for the reduced cellular and vascular spaces found in cafeteria group livers, likely contributing to oxygen consumption restriction. In conclusion, specific substrates and gluconeogenic modulators contribute to a higher stimulation of gluconeogenesis in livers from the cafeteria group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]