Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The prevalence of obesity in Canada has doubled in the last 30 years. Currently, one in four Canadians is classified as obese, resulting in an annual health care cost of ~$6 billion. Obesity is associated with significant health complications including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In particular, the metabolic abnormality termed "insulin resistance" underlies the development of many obesity-related diseases. Insulin is an important hormone that regulates glucose (blood sugar) metabolism, and most obese adults develop resistance to the action of insulin. Regular endurance exercise can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance, but the mechanisms for this protective effect are unclear. The development of insulin resistance has been linked to high rates of fatty acid release from fat tissue into the bloodstream, but the impact of exercise on metabolic function of fat tissue is not well known. My research proposal will investigate the effects of regular exercise on the metabolic function and structure of fat tissue in obese adults. We hypothesize that fat tissue from obese adults who exercise regularly will display structural and functional characteristics that attenuate release of fatty acids into the bloodstream. To investigate this, we will compare obese adults who exercise regularly to obese adults who do not exercise. We will obtain a small sample of fat tissue to analyze the size of the fat cells and measure proteins that regulate fatty acid release. We will also "label" fatty acids in the body to track their movement in the bloodstream. The major goal of this project is to determine whether regular exercise alters the structure and metabolic function of fat tissue, which could have great impact on insulin resistance and metabolic health in obese adults. Our findings will have important clinical implications for developing effective strategies to treat and/or prevent the development of insulin resistance and related diseases.