08.15.22
Eccentric exhaustive exercise (EEE) training, while a promising way to enhance athletic performance in healthy individuals, may lead to abnormal liver enzymes and lipid profiles. Previous research on vitamin D supplementation has evidenced its potential benefit to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. However, there is little evidence on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on EEE in overweight women with NAFLD.
NAFLD is a prevalent liver condition that affects 3-25% of the general population, and obesity and visceral fat concentrations are strong risk factors for the disease.
In a small clinical trial, 22 women with NAFLD were randomly divided to take either a placebo or a supplement containing 2,000 IU vitamin D daily for six weeks. Two treadmill EEE sessions were performed before and after the six-week vitamin D supplementation period.
Before and after both EEE sessions, the researchers took blood samples to evaluate liver enzymes, lipid profile, and vitamin D blood concentrations.
Compared to the placebo group, the group of 11 women who took vitamin D supplements daily saw significantly greater reductions in body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist-hip ratio. Further, the results showed that three liver enzymes, ALT, AST, and GGT, were increased after EEE, along with increases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.
However, compared with the control, the group that took vitamin D had significantly lower ALT, AST, and GGT, while having significantly lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL. Lastly, the vitamin D group had significantly higher HDL cholesterol compared to the control group.
“Interestingly, the results of this study showed significantly increased liver enzymes and lipid profile (except for HDL) following EEE,” the authors wrote. “According to the results of other studies, vigorous exercise training increases mitochondrial oxygen consumption and free radicals production, which leads to fat peroxidation, membrane-dependent enzyme dysfunction, and the destruction of the cell membrane. Therefore, altered liver enzymes and lipid profiles could indicate the leakage of cell continents and structural cell damage. Besides, eccentric contraction (e.g., running on a negative slope) exerts a greater force on the muscles, leading to muscular and hepatic cell damage and changed serum levels of liver enzymes.”
Vitamin D supplementation could be recommended to NAFLD patients to control the alteration of liver enzymes and lipid profile following eccentric exhaustive activities, the researchers concluded.
NAFLD is a prevalent liver condition that affects 3-25% of the general population, and obesity and visceral fat concentrations are strong risk factors for the disease.
In a small clinical trial, 22 women with NAFLD were randomly divided to take either a placebo or a supplement containing 2,000 IU vitamin D daily for six weeks. Two treadmill EEE sessions were performed before and after the six-week vitamin D supplementation period.
Before and after both EEE sessions, the researchers took blood samples to evaluate liver enzymes, lipid profile, and vitamin D blood concentrations.
Compared to the placebo group, the group of 11 women who took vitamin D supplements daily saw significantly greater reductions in body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist-hip ratio. Further, the results showed that three liver enzymes, ALT, AST, and GGT, were increased after EEE, along with increases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.
However, compared with the control, the group that took vitamin D had significantly lower ALT, AST, and GGT, while having significantly lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL. Lastly, the vitamin D group had significantly higher HDL cholesterol compared to the control group.
“Interestingly, the results of this study showed significantly increased liver enzymes and lipid profile (except for HDL) following EEE,” the authors wrote. “According to the results of other studies, vigorous exercise training increases mitochondrial oxygen consumption and free radicals production, which leads to fat peroxidation, membrane-dependent enzyme dysfunction, and the destruction of the cell membrane. Therefore, altered liver enzymes and lipid profiles could indicate the leakage of cell continents and structural cell damage. Besides, eccentric contraction (e.g., running on a negative slope) exerts a greater force on the muscles, leading to muscular and hepatic cell damage and changed serum levels of liver enzymes.”
Vitamin D supplementation could be recommended to NAFLD patients to control the alteration of liver enzymes and lipid profile following eccentric exhaustive activities, the researchers concluded.
