Regional differences in adipose tissue metabolism between sedentary and endurance-trained women. Mauri[grave]ege, P., D. Prud'homme, M. Marcotte, M. Yoshioka, A. Tremblay, and J. P. Despr[acute]es. Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Lipid Research Center, CHUL Medical Research Center, Ste-Foy, Qu[acute]ebec, Canada
APStracts 4:0110E, 1997.
Subcutaneous (subc) abdominal and femoral adipose tissue metabolism was studied in sedentary and endurance-trained premenopausal women. Both fat cell weight and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity were lower in the subc abdominal depot of trained women compared to controls. Epinephrine- and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolytic responses as well as the [beta]-adrenergic sensitivity of subc abdominal adipocytes were higher in trained than in sedentary women, whereas both the antilipolytic effect of UK14304 and the [alpha]2-adrenoceptor sensitivity were lower in endurance-trained than in sedentary subjects. Maximal lipolysis in the presence of post-adrenoceptor agents was also enhanced in subc abdominal adipose cells of trained women compared to sedentary controls. Negative relationships were found between maximal lipolytic responses of subc abdominal fat cells to catecholamines or to post-receptor agents and body fatness as well as abdominal fat distribution indices. It is concluded that 1) endurance-trained women are characterized by a preferential lipid mobilization from the subc abdominal fat depot, 2) differences in the metabolic characteristics of subc abdominal adipocytes between trained and sedentary women may involve changes in both LPL activity and the lipolytic cascade which include modifications at receptor and post-receptor levels. However, these alterations appear to be largely resulting from the reduced adipose cell size rather than from exercise-training per se.

Received 9 May 1996; accepted in final form 29 April 1997.
APS Manuscript Number E232-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1997 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 11 June 1997