November 17, 2009 – Regular physical exercise after a diet would prevent the return of visceral fat, responsible among other things for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These are the conclusions of an American study carried out among 97 women.
According to the results, two 40-minute sessions of physical exercise per week would be enough to stop gaining visceral fat. Aerobic (walking and jogging) and resistance (squat, sit-ups, leg curls, weight exercises, etc.) exercises have given the best results.
In most cases, physically active people did not regain visceral fat, while those who stopped training or never exercised gained an average of 33%.
Note that even if the active participants did not regain visceral fat, they nevertheless gained weight (3.5 kg on average), but less than those who did not do physical activity (6 kg on average).
The participants were divided into 3 distinct groups. 1er group adhered to an aerobic physical training program. The 2e group practiced resistance exercises while the 3e group was not doing any physical activity.
Initially, the participants were put on a strict diet until they achieved a body mass index of less than 25. In total, the average weight loss for all participants was 11 kilograms. They were followed for 1 year following weight loss.
Visceral fat is lodged in the abdominal cavity, under the muscles of the abdomen. It is particularly insidious because it is invisible and encircles vital organs. The more visceral fat accumulates, the greater the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Danny Raymond – HealthPassport.net
1. Hunter GR, Brock DW, et al.Exercise training prevents regain of visceral fat for 1 year following weight loss, Obesity, 2009 Oct 8.
