Just 7 days of strength training started shrinking fat cells in mice

Just seven strength-training sessions helped obese mice shrink visceral fat cells and reactivate molecular pathways involved in burning stored fat, despite no change in overall body weight. The findings suggest some benefits of resistance exercise may begin long before weight loss becomes visible, though the results still need to be confirmed in humans. Just one week of strength training was enough to increase visceral fat breakdown in obese mice, even though their body weight had not yet changed. Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) found that seven days of exercise activated biological processes that break down stored fat, reduced the size of fat cells, and lowered the amount of fat surrounding the animals' intestines.

The study, published in the journal Life Sciences, was designed to examine what happens to adipose tissue during the earliest stages of strength training, before weight loss could influence the results. Supported by FAPESP, the research builds on nearly two decades of work investigating how exercise affects metabolic health. Since 2007, the research group has explored the biological mechanisms behind the effects of physical activity on conditions including obesity and diabetes. As molecular analysis techniques have improved, the scientists have expanded their focus beyond visible outcomes such as weight loss and