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Metabolic Adaptations to Weight Loss With and Without Exercise

Metabolic Adaptations to Weight Loss With and Without Exercise

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05806801
Acronym
WAX
Enrollment
68
Registered
2023-04-10
Start date
2023-07-19
Completion date
2028-05-31
Last updated
2026-04-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insulin Resistance, Insulin Sensitivity, Metabolic Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Weight Loss

Brief summary

Study Purpose: The combination of caloric restriction and exercise is the most common first-line treatment for obesity-related disorders, yet we know very little about how these two very different treatments work together. A deeper understanding about mechanisms underlying the health benefits of adding exercise to a weight loss program will not only aid efforts to optimize more effective lifestyle interventions, but it can also uncover novel targets for the treatment/prevention of obesity-related diseases. Although a reduction in body fat is the fundamental adaptation to weight loss, we know almost nothing about the effects that adding exercise has on structural and functional changes within fat tissue that may further enhance metabolic health. This is very important because many obesity-related metabolic health complications are tightly linked with abnormalities in abdominal fat tissue. We argue exercise-induced modifications in abdominal fat tissue will reveal persistent health benefits even if some weight is regained Study Summary: 10% Weight Loss Phase - Subject participation in the study will involve a series of metabolic tests before, at midpoint, and after undergoing a 10% weight loss program (with or without exercise training depending on group randomization). During this, subjects will be randomized into one of two different experimental groups: 1. Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) exercise group 2. No exercise (control) group Follow-up Phase: After completing the metabolic testing post-weight loss, all study-related diet and exercise supervision will end and subjects will be free to make their own choices regarding diet and exercise/physical activity behavior. Subjects will then be asked to complete follow-up testing at 2-, 4- and 6- months post-weight loss. Total involvement in the study for each subject will likely be about 10-13 months (4-7 months during weight loss phase, 6 months during follow-up phase).

Interventions

BEHAVIORALMICT Exercise

Subjects randomized into this group will complete a moderate intensity continuous exercise 4 days/week.

BEHAVIORALNo Exercise (Control)

Subjects randomized into this group will remain sedentary throughout the duration of the study.

Sponsors

University of Michigan
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Age: 18-40 * Body Mass Index: 30-40 kg/m2 * Weight stable (±3kg for greater than or equal to about 2 months) * No regularly planned exercise/physical activity * Women must have regularly occurring menses and must be premenopausal

Exclusion criteria

* EKG abnormalities * Evidence/history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or other metabolic disease * Medications known to affect lipid or glucose metabolism * Pregnant or lactating * Tobacco or e-cigarette use * Prior experience of hypersensitivity to insulin, human albumin, and potassium chloride injection. * Allergies/hypersensitivity to local anesthetics of the amide type (e.g., lidocaine) * History of hyperkalemia or potential for developing hyperkalemia (including but not limited to taking drugs that may induce hyperkalemia such as cardiac glycosides or potassium sparing diuretics) * Anti-coagulant medication (e.g., Coumadin, Rivaroxaban) and Lidocaine allergy/sensitivity are

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Insulin sensitivity2 hoursa hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp will be used to quantify peripheral insulin sensitivity
Fatty acid turnover2 hoursstable isotope tracer infusion methods will be used to assess fatty acid turnover
Adipose tissue capillarization30 minutesmeasured immunohistochemically using an antibody for CD31, quantified using ImageJ software
Adipose tissue fibrosis30 minutesmeasured histologically using Sirus Red Staining, quantified using ImageJ software

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Body weight change6 monthsChange in body weight will be assessed 6 months after completing the 10% weight loss intervention
Body fat mass30 minutesBody fat mass will be measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)2 hoursA test in which glucose is given and blood samples taken afterward to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood will be completed at each clinical visit appointment

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTSuzette M Howton
suzetter@med.umich.edu734-647-9850
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJeffrey Horowitz, PhD

University of Michigan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 15, 2026