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Regular Exercisers Have ‘Healthier’ Belly Fat, New Study Finds

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Regular Exercisers Have ‘Healthier’ Belly Fat, New Study Finds

“Love handles,” “spare tyre,” “belly fat” – whatever you call it, the quest to slim down the waistline often goes hand in hand with ramping up exercise. New research now shows that regular exercise, especially when sustained for over two years, can significantly improve the composition of belly fat, making it healthier, even if weight loss isn’t drastic.

The research revealed that individuals with obesity who have exercised long term are more likely to have “healthier” belly fat tissue. In the study published in Nature Metabolism, researchers set out to examine the effects of sustained exercise on fat tissue. They compared two groups of participants with obesity.

  • 16 people who reported exercising at least four times a week for at least two years
  • 16 people who had never exercised regularly

The researchers took belly fat samples from both groups and found distinct differences in the fat tissue of the regular exercise group, which increased their capacity to store fat more efficiently. This group had more blood vessels, mitochondria, and beneficial proteins. Additionally, they had less of a type of collagen that can negatively affect metabolism, and fewer inflammation-causing cells.

According to researcher Jeffrey Horowitz: ‘What it means is that if or when people experience weight gain, this excess fat will be stored more ‘healthfully’ in this area under the skin, rather than in the fat tissue around their organs (visceral fat) or an accumulation of fat in organs themselves, like the liver or heart.’

The researcher refers to subcutaneous fat – fat located just under the skin – which is a less harmful place to store fat as opposed to visceral fat stored in and around the organs. By improving our efficiency of storing fat under the skin, it won’t necessarily increase our likelihood of developing obesity — being in a calorie surplus is necessary to gain overall body fat (consuming more calories than you burn). However, if we do gain fat, this study says exercise could improve the composition of the belly fat we gain.

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‘Our findings indicate that in addition to being a means to expend calories, exercising regularly for several months to years seems to modify your fat tissue in ways that allows you to store your body fat more healthfully if or when you do experience some weight gain — as nearly everyone does as we get older,’ says Horowitz.

Exercise is by far not all about losing weight — although if that is your main reason for engaging in it, then have at it. Bu this study further proves we can exercise and receive health benefits beyond weight loss, and should encourage us to increase our movement, regardless of body weight modification outcomes.

Headshot of Kate Neudecker

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.

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