Exercise can help you lose weight, that’s a fact. It turns out, however, that not everyone can achieve the same results despite using the same training. Research suggests that our genes may affect this!
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Some people may get better results from exercise than others. One of the reasons could be genetics. Research by Dr. Yann C. Klimentidis of the University of Arizona and published in International Journal of Obesity indicate that those people who have genes predisposing them to obesity they also contribute to the fact that they have to exercise more to see the same effects as those who are not genetically burdened.
The course of research
During the study, scientists checked the genetic load of 84 women between 30 and 65 years of age and a BMI between 19 and 33. The genetic risk of obesity was defined as GRS (genetic risk score) based on the analysis of 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) linked with the risk of obesity. SNP is a change in the structure of nucleic acids by replacing one nucleotide with another, which affects individual phenotypic changes (appearance, fertility, etc.) or susceptibility to diseases.
Participants were asked to for a year they introduced at least one hour of exercise 3 times a week combined with moderate activity with weights. The body composition of the participants was also checked using DXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry). You can read more about this method of body composition testing in ‘Scales with a body composition analyzer’.
The results of the analysis
The researchers noted that exercise had a greater impact on weight and fat loss in women whose genetic risk of obesity was lower than in the group with the higher GRS. For example, women with a high genetic risk of obesity during the study period increased body weight by an average of 1,2 kgand the ladies of the second group reduced it by an average of 1,3 kg. Moreover, women with high GRS had the same percentage of body fat throughout the study. Ladies whose genes placed them at a low risk of obesity reduced their body fat by an average of 2,7 percent. Research author Dr. Klimentidis says:
If you have a high genetic predisposition for obesity, there is simply a bigger climbing wall ahead of you. (…) However, exercise is beneficial to your health in many ways, not only by changing your body weight and composition.
Looking at the results, it immediately comes to mind that people who lost weight were definitely following a diet. Nothing could be more wrong. During the observation, the ladies were instructed not to change anything in their eating habits.
Mechanism of action
It is unclear how the genes associated with obesity affect how exercise affects body composition and weight. One hypothesis suggests that genes could interact with exercise through physiological mechanisms such as satiety, taste sensation, and regulation of energy expenditure. However, in order to be able to fully understand and explain this process, further research is needed.
The photo comes from flickr.com
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