Regular Exercise Can Lead To ‘Healthier' Belly Fat

Physical activity can change the composition of fat in the midsection, which may in turn reduce fat buildup around the liver and heart.

To explore the effects of years of regular exercise on fat tissue, researchers compared two groups of adults with obesity — 16 people who reported exercising at least four times a week for at least two years, and 16 who had never been physically active on a regular basis.

Investigators analyzed samples of belly fat tissue from just under the skin and found that the fat from exercisers displayed some key differences compared with their sedentary peers:

These results show that exercising regularly for an extended period of time seems to change fat tissue. If or when physically active people experience weight gain, it translates to more "healthy" fat in the midsection, rather than "unhealthy" fat around the organs (called visceral fat) or in the organs themselves, like the liver or heart.

Many people are confused or underwhelmed by the idea that they will be able to "store fat more effectively" or even think it's a bad thing, says Jeffrey Horowitz, PhD , a professor of movement science at the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

"We're not saying that exercise will cause people to gain more weight or fat. It's important to note that increasing the capacity to store fat does not equate to gaining fat, which requires consuming more calories than you are expending," says Dr. Horowitz.

Source: Visit website