Mild energy restriction and physical swimming activity: biochemical effects and food preference in male rats

Abstract

Caloric restriction at the beginning of life has been associated with the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. However, physical exercise can be advocated as a non-invasive intervention to minimize adverse effects. Female Wistar rats were fed either a normocaloric or hypocaloric diet from the third week of gestation to the end of lactation. The offspring were also submitted to either a normocaloric or hypocaloric diet and were allocated to groups with or without physical exercise. Thus, six groups were formed: normocaloric–normocaloric-inactive—NNI (n = 9), normocaloric–normocaloric-active—NNA (n = 7), hypocaloric–normocaloric-inactive—HNI (n = 8), hypocaloric–normocaloric-active—NHA (n = 9), hypocaloric–hypocaloric-inactive—HHI (n = 6) and hypocaloric–hypocaloric-active—HHA (n = 6). Body weight, food consumption and preference, biochemical variables, visceral fat and organ weight were evaluated. Perinatal energy restriction led to lower body weight during the lactation period, but with recovery in all groups after weaning. No difference in food intake was found among the groups, but the food preference test revealed that the continual energy restriction and physical activity were associated with a preference for carbohydrates. Continuous energy restriction exerted a harmful effect on biochemical variables such as glucose, LDL-c and total cholesterol. Lipid recovery serum, however, was observed in the HNA group. Metabolic changes were more pronounced in animals submitted to a continual hypocaloric diet, but physical activity proved to be beneficial with regard to some of the analyzed variables.