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Physical activity after liposuction counteracted increased visceral fat in women
Healthy women who underwent liposuction were able to counteract the compensatory post-procedure increase in visceral fat with exercise, based on results from a randomized controlled trial.
“We found that removing adipose tissue from the body, as liposuction does, may result in a decrease in total energy expenditure and compensatory growth of visceral fat, which is associated with heart disease. The good news is that exercise training was effective in counteracting this compensatory growth. If someone chooses to undergo liposuction, it is very important, if not essential, that this person exercises after surgery,” Fabiana Braga Benatti, PhD, of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, said in a press release.
From May 2010 to April 2011, Benatti and colleagues analyzed outcomes in 36 healthy, normal-weight women who underwent small-volume abdominal liposuction and were then randomly assigned to a trained or non-trained group (18 patients per group) 2 months after the procedure. Researchers assessed body fat distribution before the intervention and 2 and 6 months after surgery.
The trained group participated in a 4-month exercise program, consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, followed by strength and aerobic exercises. Researchers said the adherence to the program was 74%.
Results showed that liposuction significantly decreased subcutaneous abdominal fat from pre-intervention to 2 months after surgery (P=.0001) — a reduction that was sustained through 6 months in both groups. However, the non-trained group experienced a considerable 10% increase in visceral fat from pre-intervention to 6 months after surgery (P=.04) and decreased energy expenditure (P=.01).
Neither group noted a change in glycemic area under the curve (AUC) throughout the study. The trained group, however, showed significant reductions in insulinemic AUC in the 6 months after surgery vs. the non-trained group (P=.01).
HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels remained unchanged over time, the researchers said.
“Based on the present results, patients must be informed of the possible compensatory visceral fat growth and the potential associated risks as a consequence of a liposuction procedure. Additionally, health professionals are encouraged to recommend exercise training as an intervention after liposuction surgery,” they concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.