Time-restricted feeding combined with resistance exercise prevents obesity and improves lipid metabolism in the liver of mice fed a high-fat diet.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, is estimated to be the most common liver disease worldwide. Obesity is a major risk factor and contributor, and, accordingly, weight loss can improve NAFLD. Previous studies in preclinical models of diet-induced obesity and fatty liver disease have shown the independent benefits of resistance exercise training (RT) and time-restricted feeding (TRF) in preventing weight gain and hepatic build-up of fat. Here, we tested the combined effect of TRF and RT on obesity and NAFLD in mice fed a high-fat diet. Our results showed that both TRF-8-h food access in the active phase-and RT-consisting of three weekly sessions of ladder climbing-attenuated body weight gain, improved glycemic homeostasis, and decreased the accumulation of lipids in the liver. TRF combined with RT improved the respiratory exchange rate, energy expenditure, and mitochondrial respiration in the liver. Furthermore, gene expression analysis in the liver revealed lower mRNA expression of lipogenesis and inflammation genes along with increased mRNA of fatty acid oxidation genes in the TRF + RT group. Importantly, combined TRF + RT was shown to be more efficient in preventing obesity and metabolic disorders. In conclusion, TRF and RT exert complementary actions compared with isolated interventions, with significant effects on metabolic disorders and NAFLD in mice.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Whether time-restricted feeding (TRF) combined with resistance exercise training (RT) may be more efficient compared with these interventions alone is still unclear. We show that when combined with RT, TRF provided additional benefits, being more effective in increasing energy expenditure, preventing weight gain, and regulating glycemic homeostasis than each intervention alone. Thus, our results demonstrate that TRF and RT have complementary actions on some synergistic pathways that prevented obesity and hepatic liver accumulation.

Effects of different physical training protocols on inflammatory markers in Zymosan-induced rheumatoid arthritis in Wistar rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and involvement of the synovial membrane, causing joint damage and deformities. No effective drug treatment is available, and physical exercise has been utilized to alleviate the inflammatory processes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different exercise training protocols on Zymosan-induced RA inflammatory markers in the right knee of Wistar rats. The rodents were subjected to aerobic, resisted, and combined physical training protocols with variations in the total training volume (50% or 100% of resistance and aerobic training volume) for 8 weeks. All physical training protocols reduced cachexia and systemic inflammatory processes. The histological results showed an increase in the inflammatory influx to the synovial tissue of the right knee in all physical training protocols. The rats that underwent combined physical training with reduced volume had a lower inflammatory influx compared to the other experimental groups. A reduction in the mRNA expression of inflammatory genes and an increase in anti-inflammatory gene expression were also observed. The physical training protocol associated with volume reduction attenuated systemic and synovial inflammation of the right knee, reducing the impact of Zymosan-induced RA in rats.