Effects of Exercise Training on Fat Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Mexican-American and Korean Premenopausal Women

Abstract EN

We investigated the effect of exercise training on body composition change in women.

Nineteen Mexican-American and 18 Korean premenopausal overweight/obese women were randomized into one of the following groups: control, low-intensity training group (LI), and high-intensity training group (HI).

Subjects completed 12 weeks of training at 50–56% maximal oxygen consumption (LI) or 65–70% maximal oxygen consumption (HI).

Body composition components were measured at baseline and after training using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for Mexican-Americans, while whole-body composition was measured by the direct segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis and abdominal fat was measured by single-slice computed tomography for Koreans.

Data were analyzed using mixed-model repeated measures independent of age, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI).

Exercise training showed a significant effect on BMI, fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, and visceral adipose tissue area.

HI significantly decreased fat mass and fat percentage but increased lean mass (all P<0.05).

LI significantly reduced BMI, fat mass, fat percentage, and visceral adipose tissue area but increased lean mass (all P<0.05).

Exercise training had a beneficial effect on reducing BMI, fat percentage, fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue area but had no effect on increasing lean mass for Mexican-American and Korean premenopausal overweight/obese women.