If you need an excuse to exercise, this new study may give you a boost.
Research from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that you can still lose weight by eating saturated fat, found in animal products and full-fat dairy products, if you exercise for five hours a week. That's what it means.
The study did not look at a person's diet, but rather how different types of fats are metabolized depending on a person's overall health and fitness, local newspaper Aberdeen reported. Live explained.
The study analyzed two groups of men, one of whom had type 2 diabetes and did not exercise much, and the other group of men who were active athletes.
The men in each group then switched their lifestyle behaviors, with the athlete group going from exercising nine hours a week to no exercise at all, and the diabetic group going from no exercise to five hours a week.
After changing their routines, the participants were injected with small amounts of different types of fat and underwent MRI scans to see how the fat worked inside their muscle cells.
The study found that athletes burn saturated fat for energy, and people with type 2 diabetes store saturated fat in their bodies.
Professor Dana Dawson, Director of Cardiology at the University of Aberdeen, said: “We found that athletes store and utilize saturated fats intensely for high-performance physical activity. Conversely, in patients with type 2 diabetes, It was observed that storage was mainly taking place.”
Dr. Dawson added, “We also showed that endurance exercise training increases saturated fat storage and utilization in patients with type 2 diabetes,” and that after eight weeks of the program, sedentary athletes and active diabetics was metabolizing fat. It's a similar method.
“Overall, the most striking and completely new perspective we gained from this study is that one size does not fit all, and that a person's cardiometabolic health will determine how much they need to fuel with different fats.” It's about how efficiently we use it,” Dawson said.
“These results are completely novel and highlight how staying healthy and active can improve saturated fat metabolism as a direct benefit of exercise,” she added. Ta.
Ian Frizell, who has type 2 diabetes and participated in the study, said he “enjoyed the health benefits.”
“After the exchange, I experienced weight loss, increased fitness levels, lower blood sugar levels, and improved cholesterol levels. Staying on track with regular daily exercise was the key to the success of the program.” He said.
Professor Brian Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said the study detailed the benefits of exercise for heart health.
“This study compared two very specific groups: male athletes and men with type 2 diabetes, and the results show that being physically active can help your body use different types of fat. It gave us peace of mind that we can improve,” Williams said.