The Particulars: The effects of exercise on those who do not lose weight have not been well defined, particularly in regard to body fat activity.
Data Breakdown: Men who underwent 12 weeks of exercise bicycle training for a study underwent a browning of their subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Their browner fat was more metabolically active than their previous white fat. The same effects were seen in mice that ran on a exercise wheel for 11 days. Fat from these mice was transplanted into high-fat, sedentary mice. After transplantation, the sedentary mice showed increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity for at least 12 weeks.
Take Home Pearls: Exercise appears to causes white body fat to become browner and more metabolically active. Further research is needed to determine if this more metabolically active fat positively impacts glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, as seen in mice.
