BACKGROUND: Research suggests that exercise interventions may be more advantageous than pharmacologic treatments or dietary restriction alone for fat loss, but fewer studies have simultaneously examined the effects of training modalities and training cycles on visceral and subcutaneous fat in obese populations.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of training modalities and training cycles on visceral and subcutaneous fat in recessive obesity female college students.
METHODS: Sixty-three female college students with hidden obesity (body mass index < 24 kg/m2 and body fat content percentage ≥ 30%) were recruited from Zhengzhou College of Commerce and Industry, and were randomly divided into a high-intensity intermittent training group (n=32) and a moderate-intensity continuous training group (n=31) using the lottery method. Subjects in both groups performed exercise training of corresponding intensity on a running platform and ensured that the exercise volume of both groups was equal, 3 times per week, every 4 weeks as one training cycle for 16 weeks. Before training and at the end of each training cycle, subjects’ visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and overall fat were measured using the corresponding test devices.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The repeated measures F results indicated that the main effects of training cycles on visceral fat area, visceral fat index, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness, percentage of body fat and body mass index were significant, while the main effects of training modalities were significant for subcutaneous fat thickness in the triceps brachii and scapula regions. All the interaction effects between training modalities and training cycles were significant
(P < 0.05). Results from the simple effect tests revealed that the significant simple effects of training modalities at the 4th and 12th weeks for visceral fat area and visceral fat index, at the 8th and 12th weeks for subcutaneous fat thickness in the triceps brachii, scapula region, and abdominal regions, and at the 8th week for the percentage of body fat and body mass index. Simple effects of training cycles were significant for all measures within each group. (3) The results of multiple comparison tests indicated that in the high-intensity intermittent training group, visceral fat area, visceral fat index, percentage of body fat, body mass index and abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness decreased sequentially at the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks, and subcutaneous fat thickness of the triceps brachii and scapula decreased sequentially at the 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks (P < 0.05). In the moderate-intensity continuous training group, visceral fat area, visceral fat index, subcutaneous fat thickness of the triceps brachii and scapula, percentage of body fat and body mass index decreased successively at the 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks, while abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness decreased successively at the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks (P < 0.05). To conclude, both training modalities and training cycles are factors influencing visceral and subcutaneous fat in recessive obesity female college students. Training modality primarily affects subcutaneous fat in the triceps brachii and scapular region, but the fat loss effects may converge over a longer training cycle; training cycle primarily affects visceral fat area, visceral fat index, abdominal subcutaneous fat, body fat content, and body mass index.
中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：组织构建；骨细胞；软骨细胞；细胞培养；成纤维细胞；血管内皮细胞；骨质疏松；组织工程