Effect of Regular Exercise on Fat Metabolism in Rats Fed on Zinc Picolinate Supplemented Diet

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of exercise on levels of fatty acid synthesis (FAS), zinc alpha 2-glycoprotein (ZAG), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) in adipose tissue of rats fed on zinc picolinate supplement diet. A total of 42 male 8-week-old Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, each of seven; Control (C), Zinc picolinate (ZP), Chronic exercise (CE), Chronic exercise+Zin picolinate (CE+ZP), Acute exercise (AE), Acute exercise+Zinc picolinate (AE+ZP). Rats were subjected to a 30-min running test 5 days a week for 6 weeks after dietary zinc picolinate (6 mg Zn / kg) was started.An exhaustion exercise was performed on the last day for acute exercise. It was observed that ATGL, GLUT-4, IRS-1 and ZAG levels increased and FAS level decreased in the ZP group compared to the control group. Compared to the control group, the exercise groups were found to have a decrease in the FAS level with both AE and CE, and an increase in the GLUT-4 and ZAG parameters. There was no change in ATGL and IRS-1 with AE, but an increase in ATGL IRS-1 level with CE. In zinc picolinate plus exercise groups. ATGL, GLUT-4, IRS-1 and ZAG increased with both acute and chronic exercises and FAS level decreased. It was determined that the biggest change in all parameters occurred in the zinc picolinate plus chronic exercise group. Regular exercise and zinc picolinate supplementation appear to have positive results on ATGL, ZAG and GLUT-4, which are markers of glucose metabolism.Besides, it has been determined that regular exercise and zinc picolinate supplementation have also important effects on FAS and IRS-1 values, which represent fat metabolism.