Weightlifting is more effective at reducing heart fat than aerobic exercises

New research shows that obese people who undergo resistance training are more likely to see a decrease in the type of cardiac adipose tissue associated with cardiovascular disease.

In the small study, the researchers determined that a certain type of pericardial adipose tissue, the pericardial adipose tissue, was reduced in patients who were weightlifters, but not in those who increased their stamina during pregnancy. Aerobics exercises, according to a report published in JAMA Cardiology. Both types of exercise resulted in the reduction of a second type of adipose tissue in the heart, epicardial adipose tissue, also associated with heart disease.

"We were surprised by this discovery," said Dr. Regitse Hojgaard Christensen, lead author of the study, a researcher at the Center of Inflammation and Metabolism and the Center for Physical Activity Research at Copenhagen University Hospital.

Although the study does not explain why weight training would have a different effect than endurance training, "other studies have shown that resistance training is a more powerful stimulus for increasing weight training. muscle mass and basal metabolism compared to endurance training. doing weight training consumes more calories during the day, even during periods of inactivity, than people who train in endurance, "said Christensen in an email.

To explore the impact of different types of exercise on cardiac adipose tissue, Christensen and his colleagues recruited 32 obese and sedentary adults but not yet having heart disease, diabetes, or atrial fibrillation .

Participants were randomly assigned to a three-month program of aerobic exercise, weight training or no change of activity (control group). Each person underwent MRI heart analysis at the beginning and end of the study.

Both types of physical training reduced the amount of epicardial fat tissue compared to the lack of exercise: 32% endurance training and 24% weight training. However, only bodybuilding had an impact on pericardial adipose tissue, which was reduced by 31% compared to the lack of exercise.

"The resistance training in this study was designed as a 45 minute interval type workout, average load, high repetition, time-based," Christensen said. "The participants performed three to five sets of 10 exercises and the sessions were supervised. This specific exercise intervention alone has been effective in reducing fat deposits in the heart. We did not associate resistance and endurance training, which would have been interesting to reveal their potential additive effects. "

Although many studies are examining the impact of reducing abdominal obesity, the new study is interesting because it specifically examines the relationship between exercise and fat (around the heart), "said Dr. Chadi Alraeis, Interventional Cardiologist and Director of Personnel. of interventional cardiology at the Heart Hospital Detroit Medical Center.

Alraeis suspects, according to the new study, that the best way to fight heart fat is to endurance and bodybuilding. "In addition to the time you spend on the treadmill, you can add work with dumbbells, lunges, sit-ups or push-ups," said Alraeis. "It might even be enough to bring weight to the office so you can use it there. "

Although the results are interesting, "we do not know what this implies, 10 years later," said Alraeis. "We do not know if the results are really changed. We need long-term studies to examine this. "

SOURCE: bit.ly/2XMRXN0 JAMA Cardiology, online July 3, 2019.