Adiposity attenuates muscle quality and the adaptive response to resistance exercise in non-obese, healthy adults

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 35; no. 8; pp. 1095 - 1103
• Main Authors: Peterson, M.D, Liu, D, Gordish-Dressman, H, Hubal, M.J, Pistilli, E, Angelopoulos, T.J, Clarkson, P.M, Moyna, N.M, Pescatello, L.S, Seip, R.L, Visich, P.S, Zoeller, R.F, Thompson, P.D, Devaney, J.M, Hoffman, E.P, Gordon, P.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01.08.2011; Nature Publishing Group UK
• Subjects: 692/698/1671/1668; Adipose tissue; Adiposity; Adult; adults; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition - physiology; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular diseases; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; females; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Internal Medicine; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; males; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; muscles; Obesity; original-article; Public Health; Resistance Training; Risk factors; strength training; Subcutaneous Fat - physiology; United States; Ann Arbor Michigan; United States > US; FAMuSS; muscle quality; adiposity; resistance exercise; strength; Human; Physical exercise; Obesity; Adipose tissue; Nutrition; Nutrition disorder; Adaptive response; Metabolic diseases; Adiposity; Quality; Adult; Muscle; Nutritional status; Strength
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2010.257

Background: Emerging data have revealed a negative association between adiposity and muscle quality (MQ). There is a lack of research to examine this interaction among young, healthy individuals, and to evaluate the contribution of adiposity to adaptation after resistance exercise (RE). Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) on muscle function among non-obese individuals before and after RE. Design: Analyses included 634 non-obese (body mass index <30 kg m−2) subjects (253 males, 381 females; age=23.3+/-5.2 years). SAT and muscle mass (magnetic resonance imaging-derived SAT and biceps muscle volume), isometric and dynamic biceps strength, and MQ (strength/muscle volume), were analyzed at baseline and after 12 weeks of unilateral RE. Results: At baseline, SAT was independently associated with lower MQ for males (beta=-0.55; P<0.01) and females (beta=−0.45; P<0.01), controlling for body mass and age. Adaptation to RE revealed a significant negative association between SAT and changes for strength capacity (beta=−0.13; p=0.03) and MQ (beta=−0.14; P<0.01) among males. No attenuation was identified among females. Post-intervention SAT remained a negative predictor of MQ for males and females (beta=−0.47; P<0.01). Conclusions: The findings reveal that SAT is a negative predictor of MQ among non-obese, healthy adults, and that after 12 weeks of progressive RE this association was not ameliorated. Data suggest that SAT exerts a weak, negative influence on the adaptive response to strength and MQ among males.