Aerobic Exercise Helps to Achieve a Slimmer Waistline

Belly or abdominal fat – known in scientific communities as visceral fat and liver fat -- is located deep within the abdominal cavity and fills the spaces between internal organs.  Associated with increased risks for heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer, belly fat is unhealthy fat.  Cris Slentz, from Duke University Medical Center (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues completed an eight-month study that followed 196 overweight, sedentary adults, ages 18-70 years, who were randomized to one of three groups: aerobic training; resistance training or a combination of the two. The aerobic group performed exercises equivalent to 12 miles of jogging per week at 80% maximum heart rate. The resistance group performed three sets of 8 – 12 repetitions three times per week. All programs were closely supervised and monitored to ensure maximum effort in participation. The researchers found that aerobic training significantly reduced visceral fat and liver fat, the culprit in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aerobic exercise also did a better job than resistance training at improving fasting insulin resistance, and reducing liver enzymes and fasting triglyceride levels. All are known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.  The team observed that resistance training achieved no significant reductions in visceral fat, liver fat, liver enzyme levels or improvements in insulin resistance. The combination of aerobic with resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic training alone.  The researchers submit that: “These data show that for overweight and obese individuals who want to reduce measures of visceral fat and fatty liver infiltration and improve [fasting insulin resistance and liver enzymes], a moderate amount of aerobic exercise is the most time efficient and effective exercise mode.”