Effects of submaximal resistance exercise on resting fat oxidation and resting metabolic rate in young women

• Main Author: Leung, Cherie Ka-Wai
• Other Authors: Stephen Francis Burns
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70224
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Background: Ballooning rates of obesity and metabolic disease resulting in health problems globally suggest that current exercise recommendations may be inadequate in preventing weight gain or maintaining weight loss. It is hence worth investigating further into how modes of exercise beyond traditional endurance training can contribute to improvements in health outcomes. Some studies have investigated the effects of resistance exercise on resting fat oxidation (RFO) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), but most involved men and high intensity resistance exercise. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effects of a single bout of submaximal resistance exercise on RFO and RMR in young women. Methods: 10 healthy young women were recruited to this randomized, experimental, laboratory-based, repeated measures study. Participants who had completed informed consent, screening and preliminary testing were invited to the resistance training room to complete either a i) rest (control) trial or ii) a resistance exercise trial. RFO and RMR was measured using a metabolic cart and within-subject differences were compared between the trials. The hypotheses were that median RFO and RMR would increase from the control to exercise trial. Results: There was a significant change and increase in median RFO from the control (1.96 g/hr) to exercise trial (3.43 g/hr). (p=0.017) However, there was no significant change in median RMR between control (1370.6 kcal/day) and exercise trials (1333.8 kcal/day). (p=0.203) Conclusion: A single bout of submaximal resistance exercise in young women significantly increases median RFO, but has no significant effect on median RMR.