A combination of aerobic and resistance training induces white adipose tissue browning
TL;DR
Findings indicate that CT induces browning in iWAT and rpWAT in lean mice, supporting its potential relevance as a strategy for promoting WAT remodeling in the context of metabolic health.
Abstract
Combined training (CT) has been widely recommended as a strategy to improve metabolic health and is often prescribed in the context of obesity and its comorbidities. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of CT on the induction of brown-like adipocytes and white adipose tissue (WAT) remodeling. Sixty male Swiss mice were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: sedentary (SED; n = 30) and combined training (CT; n = 30). Animals underwent incremental and load tests at the beginning of each week to adjust training intensity. The total CT training period lasted 8 weeks, with sessions performed five days a week. After euthanasia, WAT from the inguinal and retroperitoneal (iWAT and rpWAT) were harvested. Performance in the CT group was improved after 8 weeks, as indicated by an increase in Vpeak_k and the load lifted. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) was higher in the CT group than in the SED group. CT also increased the abundance of multilocular adipocytes and the expression of genes associated with brown and beige adipocyte phenotypes in iWAT and rpWAT. Together, these findings indicate that CT induces browning in iWAT and rpWAT in lean mice, supporting its potential relevance as a strategy for promoting WAT remodeling in the context of metabolic health. Combined training (CT) integrates aerobic and resistance exercise and is an effective strategy to improve physical performance. CT increased the expression of angiogenesis-associated markers (VEGF and CD31) in white adipose tissue (WAT). CT induced the appearance of multilocular adipocytes and upregulated uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) along with brown and beige phenotype-specific genes in both inguinal (iWAT) and retroperitoneal (rpWAT) depots. CT drives WAT remodeling and browning across multiple fat depots, supporting its potential relevance to metabolic health, which remains to be directly tested.