Bodybuilding can reduce fatty liver – here's what you need to do

Brasilia: In addition to being beneficial to the heart, strength training can also reduce fat accumulation in the liver and improve blood sugar regulation, according to a study in mice. The study, led by a team from the University of Campinas in Brazil, showed that strength training can reduce stored fats in the liver and improve glycemic control in obese mice, even without overall body weight loss. .

The results suggest that strength training could be a quick and effective strategy to reduce the risk of fatty liver disease and diabetes in obese people.

"The fact that these improvements in metabolism occurred over a short period, even though the overall amount of body fat was unchanged, suggests that strength training can have positive health effects and directly affect the functioning and liver metabolism, "said Pereira de Moura from the university.

"It could be a more effective, drug-free, low-cost strategy for improving health," she said. During the research, published in the Journal of Endocrinology, the team studied the effects of strength-based exercise on the accumulation of fat in the liver, the regulation of blood glucose and markers of inflammation in obese mice.

Obese mice performed muscle training for a short time, which in humans would not be enough to change the fat composition. After this short-term training, the mice had less fatty liver, fewer inflammatory markers, and their glycemic regulation improved, despite no change in their overall body weight.

These health benefits would be even more effective if they were accompanied by a reduction in body fat, she added. On the basis of these results, obese people may have to increase their activities through bodybuilding, but should always consult their primary care physician.

More in-depth studies are needed both in animals and in people to understand how bodybuilding is affected by strength training. Obesity, an epidemic of growing health worldwide, causes inflammation of the liver and impairs its ability to regulate blood sugar. It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and its badociated complications, including nerve and kidney damage.