Weightlifting Changes Body Fat Before Weight Loss

Strength training may benefit body fat even before weight loss begins. New research on obese mice found that just one week of resistance training can reduce fat around internal organs, shrink fat cells, and improve fat metabolism processes, even when body weight has not yet changed.

Weight training may have benefits for body fat that begin even before weight loss. A new study on obese mice has shown that only one week of strength training can help reduce fat around internal organs, shrink fat cells and improve processes related to fat metabolism; Even when the body weight has not changed yet.

According to the selection report and quoted by ScienceAlert; Researchers at the University of Campinas, Brazil, examined changes in visceral fat; A type of fat that accumulates around the internal organs, especially in the abdominal area.

The results showed that the rats that had done strength training had less fat around the internal organs and the size of their fat cells was smaller compared to the obese and inactive rats. These changes can be a sign of improving the health of fat tissue.

How does strength training affect body fat?

In this experiment, rats had to climb a small staircase 70 cm high, while a weight was attached to their tail. This exercise was done in seven sessions during one week.

Analysis of adipose tissue samples showed that strength training affects the molecular mechanisms related to fat storage and breakdown.

Also, the activity of some proteins effective in fat breakdown increased and the activity of the gene involved in fat production decreased. These findings suggest that strength training may produce positive changes in the way body fat is managed even before weight loss.

Leandro Mora, a doctor and one of the researchers of this study, says that many people think that if they don't lose weight after two months of weight training, exercise is useless; While the results of this research show that changes related to fat metabolism can begin much earlier.

Combination of strength training and aerobics for weight loss

According to the researchers, both strength training and aerobic exercise can affect pathways related to fat metabolism, although the mechanism and intensity of their effects are not the same.

For this reason, combining these two types of exercise can be a good strategy for people who want to lose weight and improve their metabolic health.

Of course, this study was conducted on mice, and human studies are needed to determine to what extent these results apply to humans.

In the future, the researchers plan to investigate the long-term effects of strength training and its effect on different types of fat in different parts of the body.

The main message of this research is that the benefits of exercise should not be measured only by the number on the scale. Even before the body weight is reduced, positive changes in fat tissue and metabolic processes may have begun; However, confirmation of these effects in humans requires more studies.