EFFECTS OF INTERMITENT FASTING AND CHRONIC SWIMMING EXERCISE ON BODY COMPOSITION AND LIPID METABOLISM

Intermittent fasting protocol (IFP), has been suggested as a strategy to change body metabolism and improve health. The effects of IFP seem to be similar to aerobic exercise, having a hormetic adaptation according to intensity and frequency. However, the effects of combining both interventions are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of IFP with and without endurance exercise training on body composition, food behavior, and lipid metabolism. Twenty weeks old Wistar rats were kept under an inverted circadian cycle of 12 hours with water ad libitum and assigned to four different groups: control group (CON; ad libitum feeding and sedentary); exercise group (EX; ad libitum feeding and endurance training); intermittent fasting group (IF; intermittent fasting and sedentary); intermittent fasting and exercise group (IFEX; intermittent fasting and endurance training). After six weeks, the body weight of IF and IFEX animals decreased without changes in food consumption. Yet, the body composition between the two groups was different, with the IFEX animals containing higher total protein and lower total fat content than the IF animals. The IFEX group also showed increases in total HDL cholesterol and increased intramuscular lipid content. The amount of brown adipose tissue was higher in IF and IFEX groups; however, the IFEX group showed higher expression levels of UCP-1 in this tissue, indicating a greater thermogenesis. The IFP combined with endurance training is an efficient method for decreasing body mass and altering fat metabolism, without inflicting losses in protein content.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author