Exercise termination effects on food intake, plasma insulin, and adipose lipoprotein lipase activity in the Osborne-Mendel rat

Thirteen-week-old male, Osborne-Mendel rats were exercised for 6 weeks on a motorized treadmill. Exercise depressed weight gain and cumulative light cycle food intake while cumulative dark cycle and 24-hour total food intake were unaffected. Rats in sedentary and exercise groups were killed 24 hours after the last bout of exercise to assess the effects of chronic exercise and at 48, 60, 72, and 84 hours to determine the effects of exercise termination. Compared to sedentary controls, exercise decreased plasma insulin, epididymal and retroperitoneal depot weight and cell size, and retroperitoneal lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. Forty-eight hours after exercise, plasma insulin concentration increased to sedentary levels. By 60 hours, dark cycle food intake was increased above and adipose LPL activity was comparable to sedentary levels. At 84 hours postexercise termination, dark cycle food intake, plasma triglyceride, and epididymal LPL activity per depot and per cell were significantly greater than sedentary values. Exercise termination resulted in a preparatory response for rapid lipid deposition probably arising from increased food intake, plasma insulin, and enhanced LPL activity within 84 hours following termination of exercise.