The effects of exercise on metabolism are even greater than scientists believed, according to a study by the University of Sydney (Australia) published in the Cardiovascular Research, the magazine of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
The study is the first to examine the metabolic effects of exercise while carefully monitoring differences between participants in diet, stress, sleep patterns, and the work environment.
“These results show that metabolic adaptation to exercise is much deeper than previously reported,” says lead author Dr. John F. O’Sullivan of the University of Sydney.
“The results increase our understanding of the widespread benefits of exercise on metabolism and reveal for the first time the true magnitude of these effects,” he continues. “This reinforces the mandate of exercise as a critical part of programs to prevent cardiovascular disease.”
One of the main challenges in studying the effects of exercise is controlling for factors that differ between participants and that could influence the results. For example: age, sex, weight, basic physical condition, diet (some healthy, others very unhealthy), sleep patterns, jobs (physical work versus desk work), alcohol and smoking.
“Our motivation for this study was to overcome this limitation by studying exercise under controlled conditions, thus revealing the true extent of the effects on the body,” says Dr. O’Sullivan.
“Therefore, we used a cohort of newly recruited healthy male soldiers of similar age and basic physical fitness who lived in the same household, had the same sleep patterns, ate the same food, and followed the same exercise regimen“, Add.
One of the main benefits of exercise is metabolism, which is how the body converts food to energy and eliminates waste. Substances produced during metabolism are called metabolites.
“Metabolites are the intermediates of the metabolic machinery in the body and can indicate how metabolic health is changing in response to exercise“explains Dr. O’Sullivan.
The researchers measured approximately 200 metabolites in the blood of 52 soldiers before and after an 80-day strength and aerobic exercise program and linked them to changes in fitness.
Compared to previous studies, the researchers found dramatic changes in many metabolites. The trained and energy efficient muscle uses much more fuel, for example fat, than ever before.
The researchers also captured something hitherto not seen in terms of scale and scope: changes in the levels of factors derived from the intestine, the factors involved in blood clotting, the breakdown products of proteins, and the factors involved in opening the blood vessels to increase blood flow.
Participants who did not experience these metabolic benefits of exercise had higher levels of a metabolite called DMGV. “This is intriguing because a recent study also found that this metabolite predicted who wouldn’t benefit from exercise,” explains Dr. O’Sullivan.
“DMGV levels are influenced by genetics and diet, increasing with sugary drinks and decreasing with vegetables and fiber -continues-. The DMGV measurement can identify people who need strategies other than exercise to reduce their cardiovascular risk. “
“The power of exercise to increase metabolism adds to its positive effects on blood pressure, heart rate, fitness, body fat, and body weight.. Our findings consolidate the central role of exercise in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, “he concludes. (I)
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