The Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Visceral White Adipose Lipolytic Pathways in Female Rats

BACKGROUND: Visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) accumulation is a key contributor to cardiometabolic disease, particularly in females, yet the impact of resistance exercise training (RET) on vWAT metabolism remains poorly characterized. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of 10 weeks of RET on visceral adiposity, glycemic regulation, and vWAT lipolytic pathway activation in female rats. METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 20) were randomized to sedentary (SED; n = 10) or RET (n = 10) groups. RET animals performed weighted ladder climbing 5 days/week for 10 weeks. Weekly body mass and food intake over the final week were recorded. Fasting blood glucose (BG) measurements and intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed 3-4 days following the final exercise bout. Visceral adipose (gonadal white adipose tissue depot; gWAT) and skeletal muscles were collected 5 days following the final exercise bout and weighed. gWAT samples were used for western blotting of proteins involved in lipolysis and lipid metabolism. RESULTS: RET significantly increased biceps and flexor digitorum longus relative muscle mass and reduced gWAT mass (p < 0.05), without significantly altering body mass. Fasting BG was reduced (p < 0.05) in RET compared to SED animals and strongly correlated with gWAT mass (R = 0.71, p < 0.001), while IVGTT area under the curve was unchanged. RET animals demonstrated enhanced phosphorylation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and protein kinase A (PKA) substrates (p < 0.05) in gWAT. CONCLUSIONS: RET enhances basal lipolytic pathway activation in vWAT and improves fasting glycemia independent of body mass. These findings support RET as a weight-neutral strategy to reduce vWAT and improve cardiometabolic health in females.