Abstract: Objective To examine the effects of continuous and intermittent exercises on obesity and fatty liver in rats fed with
high-fat diet. Methods Wistar rats were randomly assigned into routine diet (R) and high-fat diet (H) groups, and each group
were subdivided into sedentary group (S), continuous exercise (CE) group, and intermittent exercise (IE) group (n=8). In the
CE group, the rats were forced to swim continuously for 90 min once daily, and those in the IE group swam for 30 min for 3
times (at a 4-h interval) daily. Both the CE and IE groups exercised for 5 days a week for 8 consecutive weeks. After the
experiment, the retroperitoneal, epididymal, and visceral white and brown adipose tissues, the liver, and the gastrocnemius
muscle of the rats were weighed. The lipogenesis rate was determined by incorporation of 3H20 into saponified lipids, and the
blood lipid profiles were analyzed. The body weight and food intake of the rats were recorded daily. Results IE appeared to be
more efficient than CE in reducing the adverse effects of high-fat diet and sedentarism. Compared with CE, IE resulted in an
improved lipid profile with reduced food intake, body weight gain, visceral and central adiposity, and fatty liver. The effect of
high-fat diet and different exercises on weight gain, adiposity, fatty liver, and lipid profile in rats was associated to the manner
of exercise, time of each session, age, gender, and length of observation period. Conclusion Intermittent exercise is an
important nonpharmacological strategy to control obesity and the related complications.