Women Pumping Iron

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" Pumping Iron " Slows Middle-Aged Spread in Women

By Martha Kerr

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 06 - A twice weekly

strength training regimen slows the accumulation of

visceral fat, researchers reported last week in

Phoenix, Arizona at the American Heart Association's

46th annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease

Epidemiology and Prevention.

Dr. H. Schmitz of the University of

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and colleagues, randomized

164 women between 25 and 44 who were overweight to

obese (BMI 25-35) into two groups. Those who received

standard care received AHA brochures on diet and

instructions to exercise moderately to vigorously 30

minutes on most days of the week. The study group

received strength training under supervision of a

certified strength professional.

Single-slice CT scan at L3-L4 was done at baseline and

again 2 years later to measure visceral fat content.

Patients were instructed to avoid changes in diet that

would cause an increase or decrease in weight.

Randomization was stratified into two age groups

(those between 25 and 34 years of age and those

between 35 and 44) and percentage of body fat.

" Women performed resistance exercise training, with

increases in small increments, " Dr. Schmitz said. " We

used all the large muscles, the quads and hamstrings,

the pecs and the upper and lower back. We threw in the

deltoids, biceps and triceps because it felt funny not

to, but they weren't really important in what we were

studying...This program wasn't just a pink wave of the

hand. This was really 'pumping iron,' " she added.

There was no difference in body weight after 2 years,

but visceral fat increased only 6.3% in the

strength-training group compared with an increase of

20.1% in the control group. Visceral fat is associated

with metabolic changes linked to heart disease, Dr.

Schmitz pointed out.

" A recommendation to exercise vigorously three times a

week is ineffective if people aren't doing it, " she

continued. " Here's the challenge: we don't know if

this is better than walking two times a week, but a

lot of people aren't walking. We do know that anything

is better than nothing. "

Ralph Giarnella MD

Southington, CT