Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41622038›Full record

Trial reportThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2026

Weight loss reduces intermuscular adipose tissue and liver fat compared to exercise: implications for muscle quality and metabolic health.

Karin Zemski Berry, Amanda Garfield, Emily Macias, Simona Zarini, Sophia Bowen, Melanie G Cree, Janet K Snell-Bergeon, Stephan Bodkin, Bryan C Bergman

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Karin Zemski BerrySchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7089-691X
Amanda GarfieldSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Emily MaciasSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Simona ZariniSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Sophia BowenSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Melanie G CreeDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Janet K Snell-BergeonBarbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Stephan BodkinSchool of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, USA.
Bryan C BergmanSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9561-1052

Funding

Skeletal muscle diacylglycerol and sphingolipids: Impact of localization and species on insulin resistance in humansR01DK111559 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI BERGMAN, BRYAN C · 2017 to 2020
$2.5M
American Diabetes Association 1-14-CE-05Colorado Cancer Center P30CA046934Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center P30DK048520NIH HHS R01DK111559NIH HHS RR-00036
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextWeight loss improves insulin sensitivity and liver fat but reduces lean mass. Whether reductions in intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) exceed muscle loss and how these effects compare with endurance exercise training without weight loss remains unclear.

objectiveTest whether weight loss leads to greater reductions in IMAT and hepatic fat than exercise training alone, and whether these changes are reflected in plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profiles in adults with obesity.

methodsIn a 12-week randomized intervention, 46 individuals with obesity were assigned to weight loss (WL-age 39.7 ± 1.3; BMI 35.2 ± 0.9; W/M 8/9), endurance exercise training without weight loss (EX-age 39.7 ± 1.6; BMI 36.0 ± 1.1; W/M 8/8), or delayed-control intervention groups (age 39.8 ± 1.4; BMI 36.8 ± 1.3; W/M 6/7). Changes in IMAT volume, skeletal muscle mass, and liver fat measured by MRI; insulin sensitivity assessed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp; and plasma lipidomics and metabolomics by LC-MS based methods.

resultsWL reduced body weight (-10.5%; P < .001), liver steatosis (-33.1%; P < .0001), and IMAT volume (-12.7%; P < .0001), while improving insulin sensitivity (42%; P = .004). IMAT decreased significantly more than skeletal muscle mass (-4.2%, P = .17), indicating improved muscle quality. EX increased insulin sensitivity (23%; P = .04) and VO₂peak (7.6%; P < .001) but did not significantly change IMAT or liver fat. DXA overestimated muscle loss compared with MRI. WL decreased plasma sphingolipids and diacylglycerols, whereas EX reduced acylcarnitines. Plasma triacylglycerols and branched-chain amino acids were strongly correlated with liver fat, and triacylglycerols showed the strongest association with IMAT volume.

conclusionWeight loss is more effective than endurance exercise training without weight loss for reducing IMAT and liver steatosis, with IMAT loss exceeding muscle loss. Plasma lipids and metabolites signatures are associated with liver fat and IMAT, supporting their potential utility as noninvasive biomarkers.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueExerciseLiverMuscle, SkeletalObesityWeight LossAdultFatty LiverFemaleHumansInsulin ResistanceMaleMiddle Agedintermuscular adipose tissuelipidomicsliver steatosismuscle qualityobesity

Identifiers

PMID41622038
PMCPMC13271784

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.