| dc.description.abstract |
According to a 2011 Centers for Disease Control report, approximately 17% of children and adolescents are obese in the United States. There is great concern that children consume an excess of foods containing high fat and sugar. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the effects of chronic swim exercise on diet-induced obesity in developing mice. Method: Beginning at 3 weeks of age, C57BL/6 male mice were given standard chow and water or high fat chow (60%) and fructose water (10%) and exposed to swim exercise. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups with siblings housed together: Control (CON, n=8, chow/water; CON-EX, n=9, exercise, chow/ water) and Diet (DIET, n=10, 60% fat chow, 10% fructose water; DIET-EX, n=11, exercise, 60% fat chow, 10% fructose water). Mice in the exercise groups (CON-EX, DIET-EX) swam 1 hour, three times/week. Body weight and fat were measured weekly. Oxygen consumption was assessed at the start and end of the study. Results: Body Weight: By week 8 the DIET-EX group had gained the most body weight. (p<0.0001) (DIET-EX: 33.21g, DIET: 28.33g, CON- EX: 24.41g, CON: 25.15g). Body Fat: At 8 weeks, body fat was highest in the DIET-EX (DIET-EX: 36.46%, DIET: 23.65%, CON-EX: 11.23%, CON: 9.86%). Kcal/d: At 8 weeks, mice in the CON group consumed more kcal/d than the DIET group (p<0.01). The CON-EX group consumed the most kcal/d (CON: 12.03 kcal/d; CON-EX: 12.62 kcal/d; DIET: 6.70 kcal/d; DIET-EX: 8.71 kcal/d). Oxygen consumption data validated the exercise paradigm showing that uptake values were greater in the exercised animals (VO2 Pre = 1.6 ml/min vs. VO2 Post = 4.5 ml/min). Conclusion: Early developmental exposure to high caloric diet in mice produced a marked increase in weight associated with increased fat. This was modulated by chronic exercise, seen as enhanced weight and fat levels. |
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