Long-term exercisers have 'healthier' belly fat, study reveals

A new study suggests that regular, long-term exercise can improve the health of belly fat tissue in people with obesity. Researchers from the University of Michigan found that exercisers with obesity had healthier fat tissue than non-exercisers with obesity. This healthier fat tissue was better at storing fat safely.

The study also showed that fat tissue grown from cells of exercisers in a lab stored fat more effectively. According to the researchers, regular exercise can help people store excess fat more healthily, even as they age.

The study compared two groups of people with obesity: those who exercised regularly for many years and those who never exercised. Researchers found that the exercisers had healthier fat tissue, with more blood vessels, mitochondria, and beneficial proteins. They also had less harmful collagen and fewer inflammatory cells.

This is important because the healthiest place to store fat is just under the skin. By increasing the capacity to store fat in this area, exercise can reduce the risk of unhealthy fat accumulation around organs or in organs themselves.

The researchers emphasize that increasing the capacity to store fat does not mean gaining weight. It simply means that if someone gains weight, the excess fat will be stored more safely. This can help reduce the risk of diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The study highlights the importance of long-term exercise for maintaining healthy fat tissue. Future research should focus on tracking the effects of exercise over time and determining the best types and intensities of exercise for optimizing fat tissue health.