Consistent Exercise, Active Lifestyle Could Alter How the Body Uses Saturated and Unsaturated Fat, Study Reveals

According to a new study, an active lifestyle could end up changing how the body burns both unsaturated and saturated fat.

Active Lifestyle and Fat-Burning

As part of the new study "Comparison of intramyocellular lipid metabolism in patients with diabetes and male athletes," researchers examined how various fat types are used in the body depending on a person's physical fitness levels.

Though the study did not examine diet, it looked into fat metabolism. The researchers looked into the effects across two groups: male athletes who were "super healthy" and males who had type 2 diabetes and engaged in little to no exercise. The two groups exchanged exercise regimens over eight weeks.

The athletes underwent deconditioning, going from vigorous exercise for at least 9.5 hours a week to none. On the other hand, individuals with type 2 diabetes underwent endurance training involving five hours of exercise each week.

Before and after the lifestyle swap, the volunteers received small amounts of fat. These were different types of fat given to them through intravenous injections. They then underwent MRI scans to examine the behavior of the fat within their muscle cells.

Findings revealed that the group with type 2 diabetes lost weight, had better insulin sensitivity, and had lower levels of triglycerides, fasting glucose, and cholesterol.

The researchers also discovered that saturated fat was used for physical activity as a preferred energy source among athletes. Professor Dawson, the chair of the University of Aberdeen's Cardiovascular Medicine, explains that they found that athletes store and use saturated fat intensely for physical activity that is high performance. They also conversely observed predominant storage among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

The study also revealed that endurance training boosted the utilization and storage of saturated fat within the skeletal muscles of individuals with diabetes to the extent that they were similar to deconditioned athletes after training for eight weeks.

Reinforcing the Role of Physical Activity For Heart Health

Generally, the study offered a new and striking perspective that one size does not fit all and that a person's cardio-metabolic health would determine how efficiently the body can use various fats for fuel. Such results are new and stress how keeping an active lifestyle could improve saturated fat metabolism as a direct exercise benefit.

According to Professor Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer of the British Heart Foundation, the study supports the benefits of physical activity on heart health. Though the study involved a comparison of two specific groups, the findings reassurance that keeping an active lifestyle could improve the body's usage of various fat types.

The study did not examine fat consumption's impacts. Current advice to replace dietary saturated fat with unsaturated fat remains.

Daily and regular physical activity is also known to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels and maintaining a healthy weight. When it comes to physical activity, it is important to opt for an enjoyable and sustainable routine. This could involve up to 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week. Such activities may include cycling, swimming, or brisk walking.