Research in Medicine

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Background: Although lifestyle changes encompassing weight loss and exercise remain the cornerstone of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) management, the effect of different types of exercise on NAFLD is unknown. So, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of eight weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on liver lipids, liver enzymes, and insulin resistance of adolescents with fatty liver.

Materials and Methods: In the current experimental research, 23 children and adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver were randomly assigned into HIIT groups. The intervention was eight weeks of HIIT training consisting of 30 seconds of fast running at around 100–110 percent of max speed with a 30-second recovery interval, 3 sessions per week each session lasting for 32-36 minutes, whereas the control group had no regular physical activity. Variables were measured before and after the intervention in both groups. The data was analyzed running ANCOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests.

Results: Significant differences were observed in VO_2peak (HIIT9.38% vs. Control 0.62%), BF percentage (HIIT;-1.25% vs. Control; 0.31), WHR (HIIT;-1.24% vs. Control; 0.41), ALT (HIIT;-12.42% vs. Control 3.84%), AST (HIIT;-13.95% vs. Control; 4.80%), insulin (HIIT; -12.37% vs. Control -3.56%) and insulin resistance (HIIT; -15.24% vs. Control -2.83%) between HIIT and control groups (P<0.05), whereas the differences in blood pressure and fasting blood sugar between the two groups were not found to be significant (P>0.05).
Conclusion: It seems that the HIIT exercise can be helpful as a non-medical intervention to improve liver enzymes and in the treatment of obese/overweight adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Keywords: Liver enzymes, NAFLD, HIIT, Insulin Resistance

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