Consistent Exercise Changes How Saturated Fat is Used by the Body, Study Finds

*Exercise and Saturated Fat Metabolism*

A recent study published in Nature Communications has found that consistent exercise can change how the body uses saturated fat ¹. The research, led by scientists from the University of Aberdeen, discovered that endurance athletes were better at burning off saturated fat compared to sedentary people with type 2 diabetes.


*The Athlete's Paradox*


The study aimed to understand the "athlete's paradox," where endurance athletes and type 2 diabetics both store higher amounts of fat inside their muscle fiber cells despite being very different otherwise ². Athletes are typically at a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease than diabetics and usually have high insulin sensitivity.


*Methodology*


The researchers recruited 29 male endurance athletes and 30 patients with diabetes for the experiment. The volunteers were injected with small amounts of different fats intravenously and had their thighs scanned via MRI to see how these fats were used by muscle cells ². They also had their thigh muscle cells biopsied and had basic measurements of their metabolism taken.


*Results*


The researchers found that the athletes' bodies stored higher levels of saturated fat inside their muscle cells than those with diabetes, but were also very efficient at burning it off ². Conversely, the bodies of the diabetics stored more unsaturated fat inside their muscles, but were worse at burning off either kind of fat. After the swap, however, the two groups began to mirror one another, with the exercising diabetics now storing and burning off saturated fat about as well as the deconditioned athletes.


*Benefits of Exercise*


The study's findings highlight the benefits of exercise in improving metabolism and overall health ¹. The researchers also found that the people with diabetes lost weight, increased their insulin sensitivity, and lowered their levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting glucose once they began exercising.


*Conclusion*


In conclusion, consistent exercise can change how the body uses saturated fat, leading to improved metabolism and overall health. The study's findings are novel and highlight the importance of exercise in managing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.


*More Information*


- Alice M. Mezincescu et al, Comparison of intramyocellular lipid metabolism in patients with diabetes and male athletes, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47843-y

- Journal information: Nature Communications, University of Aberdeen. Citation: Consistent exercise changes how saturated fat is used by the body, study finds (2024, May 16) retrieved May 17, 2024.