The effects of moderate exercise and prebiotic fibre supplementation on vastus lateralis muscle in a rat model of obesity

The purpose of this study was to determine the detrimental effects of a high-fat/high-sucrose (HFS) diet on muscle integrity and the contractile properties of single myofibers, and whether prebiotic fibre supplementation (PFS) and moderate aerobic exercise can mitigate these detrimental effects. HFS diet led to degenerative changes in muscle structure and impeded its capacity to produce force. PFS and moderate aerobic exercise prevented degenerative changes to muscle structure, but did not prevent muscle fat accumulation, suggesting that fat alone is not a good indicator of the musculoskeletal degenerations observed in this diet-induced obesity model.