Unicamp study shows strength training reduces visceral fat in mice

Cellular Changes in Visceral Fat After Seven Training Sessions

Researchers at UNICAMP designed the experiment using male mice divided into groups after following a high-fat diet to induce obesity. While one group of obese mice remained sedentary, the active group underwent a structured strength training regimen consisting of seven training sessions. The workout protocol involved climbing a 70-centimeter vertical ladder with weights secured to their tails, completing 20 climbs per session with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets at an intensity equivalent to roughly 70 percent of their maximum capacity, as detailed by Medical Express (ميديكال إكسبريس). Although the seven-day program did not cause a reduction in overall body weight, tissue examination revealed a measurable decrease in fat accumulated around the intestines—known as visceral fat—along with a distinct shrinking in the size of fat cells. The biological examination showed that fat cells were visibly smaller, which is significant because enlarged fat cells correlate with metabolic disorders and elevated inflammatory markers.

Reactivating Lipolysis and Suppressing Fat Storage Genes

To understand what happens inside the tissue, the research team examined proteins tied to lipolysis, the biological process that breaks down stored fats inside cells to convert them into usable energy. Obesity naturally impairs this mechanism, but the UNICAMP experiments showed that strength training successfully restored its activity after only seven sessions. Specifically, the workouts increased the interaction between two critical proteins, ABHD5 and ATGL, which initiate the breakdown of stored lipids. At the same time, researchers observed a decrease in the activity of the Scd1 gene, which participates in manufacturing fat molecules. This downregulation suggests that cellular tendencies to store incoming energy as fat droplets decline under the influence of resistance exercise.

Broader Implications and Researcher Caveats

Leandro Moura, a professor at UNICAMP and supervisor of the study, notes that assuming a lack of movement on the scale means a workout is failing is a misleading belief. Positive metabolic adjustments and tissue improvements begin at the cellular level long before digital weight loss registers. The research team emphasizes that these mechanistic findings demonstrate early metabolic responses rather than immediate human outcomes. Because the study utilized male animal models and targeted specific fat tissues, the authors plan to expand their investigations into longer training periods to observe how these cellular changes evolve over time and whether similar impacts occur in fat deposits surrounding other organs like the heart.