Body Weight and Depot Fat Changes As Influenced by Exercise and Dietary Fat Sources in Adult BHE Rats

Abstract

Adult male BHE rats were fed diets containing 15% of either corn oil (CO) or medium chain triglycerides (MCT) as the dietary source of fat. Further, rats were allowed to remain sedentary or were forced to exercise by swimming for 1 hour daily, for 3 weeks, followed by swimming for 2 hours daily for 3 weeks. The exercise for 3 weeks caused significant reductions in average body weight gains. After 6 weeks of exercise the lipid content of the adipose cells was reduced by about 50%. Fat cell numbers were not changed by either fat source or exercise, but fat cell size was significantly reduced after swimming daily for 6 weeks.