2024/08/29 by Matheus Corteletti dos Santos, Daniel Sesana da Silva, Jóctan Pimentel Cordeiro +7
Medicine · #Adipose Tissue and Metabolism #Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise #Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
paper · doi:10.1113/ep092015
openalex publication_date 2024/08/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) has shown significant results in addressing adiposity and risk factors associated with obesity. However, there are no studies that investigate the effects of HIIT on contractility and intracellular Ca 2+ handling. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of HIIT on cardiomyocyte contractile function and intracellular Ca 2+ handling in rats in which obesity was induced by a saturated high‐fat diet (HFD). Male Wistar rats were initially randomized into a standard diet and a HFD group. The experimental protocol spanned 23 weeks, comprising the induction and maintenance of obesity (15 weeks) followed by HIIT treatment (8 weeks). Performance was assessed using the maximum oxygen consumption test (). Evaluation encompassed cardiac, adipose and skeletal muscle histology, as well as contractility and intracellular Ca 2+ handling. HIIT resulted in a reduction in visceral area, an increase in , and an augmentation of gastrocnemius fibre diameter in obese subjects. Additionally, HIIT led to a decrease in collagen fraction, an increase in percentage shortening, and a reduction in systolic Ca 2+ /percentage shortening and systolic Ca 2+ /maximum shortening rates. HIIT induces physiological cardiac remodelling, enhancing the contractile function of cardiomyocytes and improving myofilament sensitivity to Ca 2+ in the context of obesity. This approach not only enhances cardiorespiratory and physical performance but also reduces visceral area and prevents interstitial fibrosis.