Short-term moderate exercise provides long-lasting protective effects against metabolic dysfunction in rats fed a high-fat diet

Introduction: A sedentary lifestyle and high-fat feeding are risk factors for cardiometabolic disorders. This study determined whether moderate exercise training prevents the cardiometabolic changes induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Materials and methods: Sixty-day-old rats were subjected to moderate exercise three times a week for 30 days. After that, trained rats received a HFD (EXE-HFD) or a commercial normal diet (EXE-NFD) for 30 more days. Sedentary animals also received the diets (SED-HFD and SED-NFD). Food intake and body weight were measured weekly. After 120 days of life, analyses were performed. Data were analysed with two-way ANOVA and the Tukey post-test. Results: Body weight gain induced by HFD was attenuated in trained animals. HFD reduced food intake by approximately 30 % and increased body fat stores by approximately 75 %. Exercise attenuated 80 % of the increase in fat pads and increased 24 % of soleus muscle mass in NFD animals. HFD induced a hyper-response to glucose injection, and exercise attenuated this response by 50 %. Blood pressure was increased by HFD, and the beneficial effect of exercise in reducing blood pressure was inhibited by HFD. HFD increased vagal activity by 65 % in SED-HFD compared with SED-NFD rats, and exercise blocked this increase. HFD reduced sympathetic activity and inhibited the beneficial effect of exercise on ameliorating sympathetic activity. Conclusion: Four weeks of moderate exercise at low frequency was able to prevent the metabolic changes induced by a HFD but not the deleterious effects of diet on the cardiovascular system.