Concurrent training and Eri silkworm pupae ingestion improve resting and exercise fat oxidation and energy expenditure in obese adults

Abstract

A randomized control trial was conducted to investigate the effects of combined concurrent training and Eri silkworm pupae ingestion on resting and exercise fat oxidation (FAO), as well as energy expenditure, and cardiometabolic risk markers in obese adults. Thirty-six sedentary, obese participants were divided into three groups: (1) placebo control group (CON, n = 12), (2) Eri silkworm pupae ingestion group (ERI, n = 12), and (3) combined concurrent training and Eri silkworm pupae ingestion group (CBT-ERI, n = 12). Participants in the ERI and the CBT-ERI consumed 5-g Eri silkworm pupae/day (approximately 2.5-g linolenic acid). The concurrent training program comprised of supervised aerobic and resistance training: three 1-hr sessions/wk for 8 weeks. Body composition, energy expenditure, and FAO at rest and during exercise, heart rate variability, and blood chemistry were measured before and after the 8-week interventions. Following the interventions, resting FAO, the natural logarithm of very low-frequency power (InVLF), and high-sensi- tive C-reactive protein concentration significantly improved in both the ERI and the CBT-ERI. Only the CBT-ERI improved resting energy expenditure, FAO during exercise, trunk and gynoid fat mass, total cholesterol concentration, the standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (SDNN), and the percentage difference between adjacent normal R-R intervals > 50 ms. Furthermore, there were significant correlations between resting energy expenditure and FAO, InVLF and SDNN in the CBT-ERI. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that concurrent training together with dietary Eri silkworm pupae leads to increased energy expenditure through a significant increase in FAO at rest and during exercise, as well as reduced fat mass.