Adipose Tissue Cellular Response to Exercise in Healthy Humans

Fat tissue is far more than just a place where humans store body fat. Fat tissue contains
many different types of cells, such as immune cells, endothelial cells, and fat precursor
cells. Differences or changes in the number of immune cells, endothelial cells, and fat
precursor cells in fat tissue can have a great impact on metabolic health. The abundance of
all immune cells, endothelial cells, and fat precursor cell types are known to change when a
person loses or gains weight. For example, the abundance of inflammatory cells is often found
to decrease markedly with weight loss - and this change has been linked to the profound
improvements in metabolic health that occur with weight loss. In contrast, the effects of
exercise on immune cells, endothelial cells, and fat precursor cells in fat tissue is not
known. Determining the effects of exercise on changes in the cellular composition within fat
tissue will provide important information for optimizing lifestyle interventions aimed at
improving metabolic health.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Age: 18-40

- Body Mass Index: 20-27 kg/m2

- Regular exercise (less than or equal to 3 days/week of aerobic exercise; 30-60
minutes/session at moderate and vigorous intensities)

- Women must have regularly occurring menses and must be premenopausal

Exclusion Criteria:

- Blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg

- Pregnant or lactating

- Evidence/history of cardiovascular or metabolic disease

- Medications known to affect lipid or glucose metabolism, or inflammation