Exercise with weight loss improves adipose tissue and skeletal muscle markers of fatty acid metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Abstract

ObjectiveThe effects of six-months weight loss (WL) versus aerobic exercise training (AEX)+WL on fat and skeletal muscle markers of fatty acid metabolism were determined in normal (NGT) and impaired (IGT) glucose tolerant African-American and Caucasian postmenopausal women with overweight/obesity.MethodsFat (gluteal and abdominal) lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and skeletal muscle LPL, acyl-CoA synthase (ACS), β-hydroxacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-1), and citrate synthase (CS) activities were measured at baseline (n=104) and before and after WL (n=34) and AEX+WL (n=37).ResultsAfter controlling for age and race, muscle LPL and CPT-1 were lower in IGT, and the ratios of fat/muscle LPL activity were higher in IGT compared to NGT. Muscle LPL was related to insulin sensitivity (M), and inversely related to G120, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. AEX+WL decreased abdominal fat LPL and increased muscle LPL, ACS, and CS. The ratios of fat/muscle LPL decreased after AEX+WL. The change in VO2max was related to the changes in LPL, ACS, and CS and inversely related to the changes in fat/muscle LPL activity ratios.ConclusionsSix-month AEX+WL, and not WL alone, is capable of enhancing skeletal muscle fatty acid metabolism in postmenopausal African-American and Caucasian women with NGT, IGT, and overweight/obesity.