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Frank I. Katch , Priscilla M. Clarkson , Walter Kroll , Thomas McBride & Anthony Wilcox
c
a
To cite this article: Frank I. Katch , Priscilla M. Clarkson , Walter Kroll , Thomas McBride & Anthony Wilcox (1984) Effects of
Sit up Exercise Training on Adipose Cell Size and Adiposity, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 55:3, 242-247, DOI:
10.1080/02701367.1984.10609359
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1984.10609359
RESEARCH QUARTERLY
FOR EXERCISE AND SPORT
1984, VOL. 55, No.3, PI'.
242-247
& Edelstein, 1968), or reductions in abdominal circumferences by performing 6 daily, 6-sec isometric
contractions (Mohr, 1965). Other investigators, on the
basis of photographic analysis (Schade, Hellebrandt,
Waterland, & Carns, 1962), changes in segment volumes (Carns, Schade, Liba, Hellebrandt, & Harris,
1960), fatfold and girth measures of the active and
inactive arms of tennis players (Cwinup, Chelvam, &
Steinberg, 1971), and fatfold and body density determinations (Noland & Kearney, 1978), report no
significant decreases in fat thickness at selected body
sites or in gross body composition when comparing
the effects of general and localized exercise training.
We are aware of only one study that has used a direct,
invasive procedure to evaluate the effects of selective
exercise training on adipose cellularity. Krotkiewski,
Aniansson, Grimby, Bjorntorp, and Sjostrom (1979)
reported no change in fat cell size or thickness of
adipose tissue in the thigh region following a daily 5week training program consisting of 30 maximal knee
extensions performed on an isokinetic device. The use
of a direct procedure such as the fat biopsy would
seem to offer a better alternative than indirect techniques such as fatfolds or girths to assess selective site
changes; indirect techniques may simply be insensitive
to evaluate true cellular changes in adiposity. This
may be particularly true for fatfolds, where measurement unreliability is a problem inherent in the technique (Katch & Katch, 1980).
In the present experiment, the conventional sit up
exercise was performed in an effort to significantly
reduce fat thickness (and adipose cell diameter) to a
greater extent in the abdominal area than in the relatively unexercised gluteal and subscapular regions.
Proponents of "spot" exercise training would argue
that the conventional hook lying sit up exercise is an
effective aid in helping to reduce fat thickness in the
abdominal region. If such a notion is valid, it follows
that performing a regimen of sit up exercise should
affect adipose measures in the abdominal region to a
greater extent than at other body areas. In the current
242
55 NO.3
Method
The subjects were 19 male volunteers, all Caucasian, who gave informed consent in accordance with
University Human Subjects Review procedures. The
mean age was 19.4 years (SD = 2.3), mean weight was
76.1 kg (SD = 7.3), and mean height was 175.4 ern
(SD = 4.8). Six of the 19 subjects did not participate
in sit up training and served as controls. The 13 experimental subjects were not members of varsity or
intramural sports teams, and none were participants
in any formal exercise programs. There were no significant differences between the experimental and
control subjects for age, height, weight, or percent
body fat (p>.05). The general experimental procedure was a pre-post test design. The 13 experimental
subjects participated in a 27-day sit up exercise program. Adipose cell size and body composition were
measured in both groups before and the day following
the training period.
Determination of Adipose Cell Size
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55 No.3
Table 1
Progressive Sit Up Training Program-
sec
Bout b
Days
1-6
7-12
13-18
19-24
25-27
Time per
Bout,
10
10
10
10
10
increase
increase
increase
increase
increase
to
to
to
to
to
10
15
20
25
30
7
10
14
15
24
630
900
1260
1350
864
Results
Changes in Adipose Cell Diameter
Table 2
Pre to Posttest Values of Adipose Cell Diameter (N
Post
Pre
20
20
20
20
14
Sit Ups
Completed Total
per Bout Sit Ups
=13)
Diameter
Microns
Mean
SO
Mean
SO
%
Change
Abdomen
Gluteal
Subscapular
82.64
90.31
76.53
16.50
8.77
14.12
77.39
85.79
73.73
15.80
11.11
14.64
6.4
5.0
3.7
.856
.818
.911
p<.01
p<.01
p<.01
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55 No.3
Discussion
A crucial test of "spot" reducing is whether a significantly greater change occurs in the predominant
body area being exercised compared to the relatively
inactive or unexercised body parts. In the present
study, the fact that there was no difference in the rate
of change in cell diameter among the three sites suggests there was no preferential influence of a possible
lipolytic mobilizing factor or of enhanced adrenergic
responsiveness (Ostman, Arner, Engfeldt, & Kager,
1979). Because cell diameter decreased significantly
at the three sites, it seems reasonable to conclude that
the sit up regimen had a more general than specific
effect on the overall size (diameter and volume) of
the adipose cells. One could take the position, however, that performing the conventional sit up involves
muscle groups other than the abdominals (such as
gluteals or upper back musculature), and therefore
the reduction in cell diameter at the gluteal and scapula sites would support the concept of selective fat
Table 3
Pre to Posttest Changes In Body Composition,
Fatfolds and Girths for the Experimental Subjects (N 13)
Post
Pre
Variable
Body Composition
weight, kg
body density, g/ml
% Fat
total fat, kg
lean weight, kg
Fatfolds, mm
triceps
scapula
iliac
abdomen
Girths, cm
waist
umbilicus
buttocks
forearm
biceps flexed
calf
Mean
SO
Mean
SO
F&
76.96
1.0722
11.67
8.85
67.22
6.90
.0008
3.45
2.46
7.01
76.09
1.0737
11.06
8.44
67.59
7.92
.0010
4.53
3.58
7.48
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
10.66
12.95
17.89
18.62
2.40
3.37
7.54
6.30
10.15
12.95
18.01
18.62
2.48
3.54
7.58
6.76
NS
NS
NS
NS
83.00
84.55
96.78
28.92
35.23
36.95
5.04
5.30
4.15
1.37
2.87
1.52
84.01
85.23
95.37
28.87
35.32
36.59
4.95
5.73
4.43
1.44
2.91
1.67
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
aRepeated measures analysis of variance. Not significant at p<.05. There were no significant
changes for anyof the abovevariables for thesix control subjects, norwerethereanysignificant
differences on the pre-test between the groups for the above measurements.
RESEARCH QUARTERLY roa EXERCISE AND SPORT VOL. 55 NO.3
245
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VOL 55 NO.3
Frank I. Katch, Priscilla M. Clarkson and Walter Kroll are in the Department of Exercise Science and Thomas McBride is with the University
Health Service, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. Anthony
Wilcox is in the Department of Physical Education, University of Kansas,
Manhattan, KS, 66506.
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55 No.3