Scientists have discovered how strength training affects visceral fat before weight loss

Strength training can trigger the breakdown of visceral fat before weight loss begins. Scientists discovered this effect after just seven training sessions in obese mice. The study was published in the journal Life Sciences (LS).

The scientists divided the obese mice into two groups. One remained without physical activity, and the other performed strength exercises for seven days: the animals climbed stairs with an additional load.

During this time, the body weight of the exercising mice did not decrease. However, they had less fat around the intestines, which is used as a model for visceral fat in humans. The fat cells themselves also decreased in size.

The analysis showed that power loads activated the molecular mechanisms of the breakdown of accumulated fat and at the same time reduced the activity of processes associated with its formation.

According to the scientists, the results show that the lack of changes in scales in the first days of training does not necessarily mean a lack of effect: changes in fat tissue may begin before noticeable weight loss.

In this case, the experiment was carried out only on male mice. It's not yet clear that seven days of strength training will produce the same changes in people.