Effect of mild-intensity exercise training with capsiate intake on fat deposition and substrate utilization during exercise in diet-induced obese mice

Purpose While the anti-obesity effects of exercise and capsiate are well-observed individually, the effect of exercise with capsiate intake has not been systematically explored yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether the anti-obesity effects of exercise training can be further enhanced by capsiate intake. Methods 8-week-old male mice were divided into 3 groups (n = 8 per group): sedentary group (SED; nontrained), exercise-trained group (EXE) and exercisetrained group with 10 mg/kg of capsiate intake (EXE+CAP). All mice were offered high-fat diet and water ad libitum. The mild-intensity treadmill training was conducted 5 times a week for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, metabolism during exercise and abdominal fat weight were measured. Results Body weight and the rate of total abdominal fat were significantly less in EXE+CAP than in SED but not between EXE and SED. The average of respiratory exchange rate during exercise was significantly much lower in EXE+SED (p = 0.003) compared to the difference between EXE and SED (p = 0.025). Likewise, the fat oxidation during exercise was significantly much higher in EXE+SED (p = 0.016) compared to the difference between EXE and SED (p = 0.045). Then, the carbohydrate oxidation during exercise was significantly much lower in EXE+SED (p = 0.003) compared to the difference between EXE and SED (p = 0.028). Conclusion In conclusion, the anti-obesity functions of exercise training can be further enhanced by capsiate intake by increasing fat oxidation during exercise. Therefore, we suggest that capsiate could be a candidate supplement which can additively ameliorate obesity when combined with exercise.