Summary
The effects of training and detraining on adipose tissue lipolysis were studied in 19 healthy subjects (7 women and 12 men) who were submitted to a 20-week aerobic training program. Thereafter, subjects refrained from exercise for a period of 50 days. Suprailiac fat biopsies were performed before training, after training, and at the end of the detraining period. Mean fat cell diameter and epinephrine stimulated lipolysis (ESL) were assessed on collagenase isolated fat cells. Body density through underwater weighing and skinfolds at seven different sites were also obtained. Training significantly increased ESL (P<0.05) in men but not in women. However, ESL values in men returned to pretraining values after the exercise restriction period. No significant changes in women lipolysis were observed under any conditions. Changes in lipolysis were not correlated with changes in body fatness. However, a significant correlation was observed between the increase in ESL produced by training and the subsequent decrease caused by detraining (r=−0.53;P<0.05). The present results suggest that lipolysis in fat cells from the female subjects seems to be insensitive to changes in energy expenditure. Moreover, the present study demonstrates that there are high and low responders in adipocytes ESL to variations in habitual energy expenditure.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Askew EW, Houston RL, Plopper CG, Hecker AL (1975) Adipose tissue cellularity and lipolysis: response to exercise and cortisol treatment. J Clin Invest 56: 521–529
Berlan M, Dang-Tran L, Lafontan M, Denard Y (1981) Influence of hypocaloric diet on α-adrenergic responsiveness of obese human subcutaneous adipocytes. Int J Obesity 5: 145–153
Bukowiecki L, Lupien J, Foiléa N, Paradis A, Richard D, Leblanc J (1980) Mechanism of enhanced lipolysis in adipose tissue of exercise-trained rats. Am J Physiol: [Endocrinol Metab 2] 239: E422-E429
Bukowiecki LJ, Lupien J, CÔté G, Cardinal E, Vallerand A (1983) Interactions between exercise training and sucrose intake on adipocyte lipolysis in rat parametrial adipose tissue. In: Knuttgen HG, Vogel JA, Poortmans J (eds) Biochemistry of exercise. Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, pp 321–325
Burns TW, Boyer PS, Terry BE, Langley PE, Robison GA (1979) The effect of fasting on the adrenergic receptor activity of human adipocytes. J Lab Clin Med 94: 387–394
Després JP, Bouchard C, Bukowiecki L, Savard R, Lupien J (1983a) Morphology and metabolism of human fat cells: a reliability study. Int J Obesity 7: 231–240
Després JP, Savard R, Tremblay A, Bouchard C (1983b) Adipocyte diameter and lipolytic activity in marathon runners: Relationship with body fatness. Eur J Appl Physiol 51: 223–230
Després JP, Bouchard C, Savard R, Prud'homme D, Bukowiecki L, Thériault G (1984a) Adaptive changes to training in adipose tissue lipolysis are genotype dependent. Int J Obesity 8: 87–95
Després JP, Bouchard C, Savard R, Tremblay A, Marcotte M, Thériault G (1984b) Effect of a 20-week endurance training program on adipose tissue morphology and lipolysis in men and women. Metab Clin Exp 33: 235–239
Duncan DB (1955) Multiple range and multiple F test. Biometrics 11: 1–42
Gries FA, Berger M, Neuman M, Preiss H, Liebermester H, Hesse-Wortmann C, Jahnke K (1972) Effects of norepinephrine, theophylline and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on in vitro lipolysis of human adipose tissue in obesity. Diabetologia 8: 75–83
Hamosh M, Hamosh P (1975) The effect of estrogen on the lipoprotein lipase activity of rat adipose tissue. J Clin Invest 55: 1132–1135
Hansen FM, Fahmy N, Nielsen JA (1980) The influence of sexual hormones on lipogenesis and lipolysis in rat fat cells. Acta Endocrinol [Kbh] 95: 566–570
Kim HJ, Kalkhoff RK (1975) Sex steroid influence on triglyceride metabolism. J Clin Invest 56: 888–896
Knittle JL, Ginsberg-Fellner F (1972) Effect of weight reduction on in vitro adipose tissue lipolysis and cellularity in obese adolescents and adults. Diabetes 21: 754–766
Lafontan M, Dang-Tran L, Berlan M (1979) Alpha-adrenergic antilipolytic effect of adrenaline responsiveness of different fat deposits. Eur J Clin Invest 9: 261–266
Lohman TG (1981) Skinfolds and body density and their relation to body fatness: a review. Hum Biol 53: 181–225
Lowry O, Passonneau J (1972) A flexible system of enzymatic analysis. Academic Press, New York
östman J, Arner P, Engfeldt P, Kager L (1979) Regional differences in the control of lipolysis in human adipose tissue. Metab Clin Exp 28: 1198–1205
McGarr JA, Oscai LB, Borensztajn (1976) Effect of exercise on hormone-sensitive lipase activity in rat adipocytes. Am J Physiol 230: 385–388
Oscai LB, Holloszy JO (1969) Effects of weight changes produced by exercise, food restriction, or overeating on body composition. J Clin Invest 48: 2124–2128
Oscai LB, Caruso RA, Wergeles AC, Palmer WK (1981) Exercise and the cAMP system in rat adipose tissue. I. Lipid mobilization. J Appl Physiol: Respirat Environ Exercise Physiol 50: 250–254
Owens JL, Fuller EO, Nutter DO, DiGirolamo M (1977) Influence of moderate exercise on adipocyte metabolism and hormonal responsiveness. J Appl Physiol: Respirat Environ Exercise Physiol 43: 425–430
Parizkova J, Poledne R (1974) Consequences of long-term hypokinesia as compared to mild exercise in lipid metabolism of the heart, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Eur J Appl Physiol 33: 331–338
Poledne R, Parizkova J (1975) Long-term training and net transport of plasma free fatty acids. In: Howald H, Poortmans JR (eds) Metabolic adaptation to prolonged physical exercise. BirkÄuser-Verlag, Basel, pp 201–203
Ritthaler F, Weiss M, Hack F, Weicker H (1980) Two biopsy techniques for human subcutaneous adipose tissue. Int J Sports Med 1: 50–51
Shepherd RE, Noble EG, Klug GA, Gollnick PD (1981) Lipolysis and cAMP accumulation in adipocytes in response to physical training. J Appl Physiol: Respirat Environ Exercise Physiol 50: 143–148
Siri WE (1956) The gross composition of the body. Adv Biol Med Phys 4: 239–280
Smith U, Hammersten J, Björntörp P, Kral JG (1979) Regional differences and effect of weight reduction on human fat cell metabolism. Eur J Clin Invest 9: 327–332
Wardzala LJ, Crettaz M, Horton ED, Jeanrenaud B, Horton ES (1982) Physical training of lean and genetically obese Zucker rats: Effect on fat cell metabolism. Am J Physiol: [Endocrinol Metab 6] 243: E418-E426
Williams RS, Bishop T (1982) Enhanced receptor-cyclase coupling and augmented catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis in exercising rats. Am J Physiol: [Endocrinol Metab 6] 243: E345-E351
Wilmore JH, Vodak PA, Parr RB, Girandola RN, Billing JE (1980) Further simplification of a method for determination of residual lung volume. Med Sci Sports Exercise 12: 216–218
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by FCAC-Québec (EQ-1330, CE-29) and by Natural Siences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (G-0850, A-8150)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Després, J.P., Bouchard, C., Savard, R. et al. Effects of exercise-training and detraining on fat cell lipolysis in men and women. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 53, 25–30 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964685
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964685