ArticlePloS one2016
Effect of Chronic Athletic Activity on Brown Fat in Young Women.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) detection byEndocrine · 2018Pooled it
- No evidence of brown adipose tissue activation after 24 weeks of supervised exercise training in young sedentary adults in the ACTIBATE randomized controlled trial.Nature communications · 2022Trial
- The Effects of 10-Week Strength Training in the Winter on Brown-like Adipose Tissue Vascular Density.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Combined training increases thermogenic fat activity in patients with overweight and type 2 diabetes.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2022Trial
- Fueling or Fighting Cancer? The Thermogenic Paradox of Brown Adipose Tissue.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- Brown adipose tissue secretes OLFM4 to coordinate sensory and sympathetic innervation via Schwann cells.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Recent updates on cold adaptation in population and laboratory studies, including cross-adaptation with nonthermal factors.Journal of physiological anthropology · 2025Review
- Review
- Brown and Beige Adipose Tissue: One or Different Targets for Treatment of Obesity and Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders?International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- The role of brown adipose tissue in mediating healthful longevity.The journal of cardiovascular aging · 2024Article
- Weighing in on the role of brown adipose tissue for treatment of obesity.Journal of pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences : a publication of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Societe canadienne des sciences pharmaceutiques · 2024Review
- Absolute thermometry of human brown adipose tissue by magnetic resonance with laser polarizedCommunications medicine · 2023Article
- Brown adipose tissue and aging: A potential role for exercise.Experimental gerontology · 2023Review
- Exercise-Induced Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis and Browning: How to Explain the Conflicting Findings?International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Human brown adipose tissue as a therapeutic target: warming up or cooling down?European journal of endocrinology · 2021Review
- Relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S): elucidation of endocrine changes affecting the health of males and females.Hormones (Athens, Greece) · 2021Review
- An update on brown adipose tissue biology: a discussion of recent findings.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2021Review
- Endocrine Mechanisms Connecting Exercise to Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism: a Human Perspective.Current diabetes reports · 2020Review
- Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activities Are Associated with High Brown Adipose Tissue Density in Humans.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Investigation of the Relationship between MR-Based Supraclavicular Fat Fraction and Thyroid Hormones.Obesity facts · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe effect of chronic exercise activity on brown adipose tissue (BAT) is not clear, with some studies showing positive and others showing negative associations. Chronic exercise is associated with increased resting energy expenditure (REE) secondary to increased lean mass and a probable increase in BAT. Many athletes are in a state of relative energy deficit suggested by lower fat mass and hypothalamic amenorrhea. States of severe energy deficit such as anorexia nervosa are associated with reduced BAT. There are no data regarding the impact of chronic exercise activity on BAT volume or activity in young women and it is unclear whether relative energy deficiency modifies the effects of exercise on BAT. PURPOSE: We assessed cold induced BAT volume and activity in young female athletes compared with non-athletes, and further evaluated associations of BAT with measures of REE, body composition and menstrual status.
methodsThe protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to study initiation. This was a cross-sectional study of 24 women (16 athletes and8 non-athletes) between 18-25 years of age. Athletes were either oligo-amenorrheic (n = 8) or eumenorrheic (n = 8).We used PET/CT scans to determine cold induced BAT activity, VMAX Encore 29 metabolic cart to obtain measures of REE, and DXA for body composition.
resultsAthletes and non-athletes did not differ for age or BMI. Compared with non-athletes, athletes had lower percent body fat (p = 0.002), higher percent lean mass (p = 0.01) and trended higher in REE (p = 0.09). BAT volume and activity in athletes trended lower than in non-athletes (p = 0.06; p = 0.07, respectively). We found negative associations of BAT activity with duration of amenorrhea (r = -0.46, p = 0.02).BAT volume correlated inversely with lean mass (r = -0.46, p = 0.02), and positively with percent body fat, irisin and thyroid hormones.
conclusionsOur study shows a trend for lower BAT in young female athletes compared with non-athletes, and shows associations of brown fat with menstrual status and body composition. Brown fat may undergo adaptive reductions with increasing energy deficit.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.