Abstract
Thirty-nine 50-days-old female rats of Wistar strain were divided into three dietary groups (high carbohydrate, high protein, high fat), and each dietary group was further divided into sedentary and exercising subgroups. While the sedentary rats were housed in individual small cages all day long, the exercising rats were subjected to one-hour treadmill running 6 days/week.
After the 5-week experimental period, the following results were obtained.
1) No difference in the increase of body weight was observed between sedentary and exercising rats of the high carbohydrate dietary group. In the high fat dietary group sedentary rats, and in the high protein dietary group exercising rats, gained significantly greater body weight. Increase of body weight varied among sedentary subgroups of different diets, but not among exercising subgroups.
2) Body fat content was significantly higher in sedentary than in exercising rats of all three dietary groups. Lean body mass and protein content of gastrocnemius and heart were greater in exercising than in sedentary rats. Liver fat content was significantly lower in exercising than in sedentary rats of high carbohydrate and high fat dietary groups. Lean body mass and muscle prontein content were highest in high protein dietary exercising group.
3) Effecs of diet and exercise on blood composition were not clarified, but at least exercising rats did not show any sign of anemia. No significant difference in weight and length of tibia and femur was obserbale among groups.
