Background
There is increasing use of high intensity, interval type exercise training in the management of many lifestyle-related diseases.
Purpose
To test the hypothesis that vigorous-intensity, interval exercise is as effective as traditional, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) outcomes in obese, Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats.
Methods
OLETF rats (age 20 wks; n= 8–10/group) were assigned to sedentary (O-SED), moderate-intensity exercise training (O-MOD EX; 20 meters/min, 15% incline, 60 min/d, 5 d/wk treadmill running), or vigorous-intensity interval exercise training (O-VIG EX; 40 meters/min, 15% incline, 6×2.5 min bouts/d, 5 d/wk treadmill running) groups for 12 weeks.
Results
Both MOD EX and VIG EX effectively lowered hepatic triglycerides (TGs), serum ALTs, perivenular fibrosis, and hepatic collagen 1α1 mRNA expression (vs. O-SED, p<0.05). In addition, both interventions increased hepatic mitochondrial markers (citrate synthase activity and fatty acid oxidation) and suppressed markers of de novo lipogenesis (FAS, ACC, Elovl6, and SCD-1); whereas, only MOD EX increased hepatic mitochondrial β-HAD activity and hepatic TG export marker apoB100 and lowered fatty acid transporter CD36 compared with O-SED. Moreover, while total hepatic macrophage population markers (CD68 and F4/80 mRNA) did not differ among groups, MOD EX and VIG EX lowered M1 macrophage polarization markers (CD11c, IL-1β, and TNFα mRNA) and MOD EX increased M2 macrophage marker, CD206 mRNA, compared with O-SED.
Conclusions
The accumulation of 15 min/day of VIG EX for 12 weeks had similar effectiveness as 60 min/day of MOD EX in the management of NAFLD in OLETF rats. These findings may have important health outcome implications as we work to design better exercise training programs for NAFLD patients.