Postprandial thermogenesis at rest and postexercise before and after physical training in lean, obese, and midly diabetic men

To determine the independent impact of physical training on postprandial thermogenesis at rest and after 1 hour of cycling at 100 W, 10 lean (15% ± 1% body fat), 10 obese (33% ± 2% fat), and six obese diet-controlled, type II diabetic men (34% ± 4% fat) underwent 12 weeks of vigorous cycle ergometer training (4 h/wk at ∼70% of maximum oxygen consumption [VO2max]) while maintaining body weight and composition. Body weight was held constant by refeeding the energy expended in each training session. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased by approximately 27%, but body weight and fat did not change. Before and at least 4 days after the last exercise session, energy expenditure was measured for 3 hours under four conditions: (1) rest, no meal; (2) rest, after a 720-kcal mixed meal; (3) postexercise after 1 hour cycling, no meal; and (4) postexercise, meal after exercise. The thermic effect of food was calculated as postprandial minus postabsorptive energy expenditure at rest and postexercise (kcal/3 h). Before and after training, the thermic effect of food during rest was lower in obese than in lean men, and lower in diabetic than in obese men (P < .05). Thermogenesis was improved after short-term exercise in obese and diabetic men compared with that at rest, but was not normalized (P < .05 for lean v obese, diabetic men). A significant effect of training on thermogenesis was due to a small but significant increase after training for diabetic men under the postexercise condition. Thus, while short-term exercise enhances but does not normalize thermogenesis in obese and diabetic men, long-term exercise training leading to increased cardiorespiratory fitness, in the absence of changes in body composition, leads to a small increase in thermogenesis in diabetic men, which manifests only after a short period of exercise.