Effects of an Energy-Restrictive Diet With or Without Exercise on Abdominal Fat, Intermuscular Fat, and Metabolic Risk Factors in Obese Women

Key Points

• To assess the effects of calorie restriction alone versus calorie restriction combined with aerobic or resistance exercise on fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in obese women.
• Assessed obese women receiving an energy-restrictive diet either alone or combined with aerobic exercise or resistance exercise.
• Evaluated changes in abdominal fat, intermuscular fat, visceral fat, and metabolic risk profiles including insulin resistance.
• Weight loss from energy restriction significantly improved overall metabolic risk profiles in obese women.
• The addition of aerobic or resistance exercise did not provide additional enhancement to the metabolic improvements achieved by diet alone.
• Reductions in visceral fat were key contributors to the improvement of insulin resistance.