Abstract
Introduction and purposeThe major problem in the management of obesity is the weight gain that occurs after all treatments currently employed. Regular physical activity remains the most effective measure to stop this weight gain. Among the types of training offered, endurance at low to moderate intensities targeting the level of maximum lipid oxidation (LIPOX max) is one of the easiest to implement and seems to stand out for its unexpected long-term effectiveness on fuel metabolism, eating behavior, and body composition. Our objectives in this study were to investigate the effect of this type of exercise on body composition after prolonged follow-up over 8 years.MethodsWe continued to follow the cohort presented in our previous works showing the effectiveness at 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 6 years of this training. In this non-randomized longitudinal study, the subjects were trained with LIPOXmax (3 × 45 min/week at home with regular follow-up, after induction in a hospital environment) with exercise calorimetry and segmental bioelectrical impedance which were carried out at the beginning and at the 104th month. 8-year extended follow-up results are available for 10 subjects.ResultsOver the 8 years of follow-up, subjects lost on the average a maximum of -13.73 ± 2.63 kg (P < 0.0002) of body weight (i.e. −14.50 ± 2.06 of the initial weight or −69.81 ± 9.53% of the excess weight) and at 96 months their weight is maintained −9.08 ± 2.31 kg below the initial weight (i.e. −9.53 ± 1.86% of the initial weight or 45.07 ± 8.94% of the excess weight). Body composition analysis performed at the end of the 8th year shows that this corresponds to −9.51 ± 2.74 kg (P < 0.001) of fat and −2.23 ± 0.67 kg (P < 0.02) of non-muscular lean mass while the muscle mass remains statistically unchanged. The waist circumference decreases (−5.54 ± 1,96 cm P = 0.015) but not the hip circumference. The maximum ability to oxidize lipids has increased (P < 0.001) and especially if expressed by units of muscle mass (+96% P = 0.0005). There is also a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (−14.44 + 4.58 mmHg P < 0.02) and mean blood pressure (P < 0.02).ConclusionThe follow-up of this cohort is still in progress but it confirms the prolonged effectiveness of endurance training targeted at the LIPOXmax over a period of at least 8 years. At this time, we observe that this weight loss affects the different components of fat mass (truncal and appendicular) but also lean mass only in its non-muscular component. The beneficial effects noted at 2 years on blood pressure and on muscle's ability to oxidize lipids during exercise is still observed at 8 years.