The weight-lowering effect of low-intensity endurance training targeted at the level of maximal lipid oxidation (LIPOX max) lasts for more than 8 years, and is associated with improvements in body composition and blood pressure

Introduction and purpose. - The 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-upover 8 years. Methods. - We continued to follow the cohort presented in our previous works showing theeffectiveness at 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 6 years of this training. In this non-randomizedlongitudinal study, the subjects were trained with LIPOXmax (3 x 45 min/week at home withregular follow-up, after induction in a hospital environment) with exercise calorimetry andsegmental bioelectrical impedance which were carried out at the beginning and at the 104thmonth. 8-year extended follow-up results are available for 10 subjects. Results. - Over 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 or69.81 +/- 9.53% of the excess weight) and at 96 months their weight is maintained9.08 +/- 2.31 kg below the initial weight (i.e. -9.53 +/- 1.86% of the initial weight or45.07 +/- 8.94% of the excess weight). Body composition analysis performed at the end of the8th 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 byunits 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). Conclusion. - The follow-up of this cohort is still in progress but it confirms the prolongedeffectiveness of endurance training targeted at the LIPOXmax over a period of at least 8 years. Atthis time, we observe that this weight loss affects the different components of fat mass (truncaland appendicular) but also lean mass only in its non-muscular component. The beneficial effectsnoted at 2 years on blood pressure and on muscle's ability to oxidize lipids during exercise isstill observed at 8 years.