The Effect of Exercise and Genes on Energy Expenditure, Appetite and Quality of Life in Morbidly Obese Patients

Regular exercise has several positive health effects including increased physical fitness and muscle mass. It is well known that increased muscle mass is associated with increased resting energy expenditure which may facilitate weight loss and maintenance. Previous studies have, however, failed to show any consistent association between the intensity of physical exercise and energy expenditure, or relate the variance in these adaptations to genetic variability. Whether high-intensity exercise (HIE) is associated with improved health related quality of life in severely obese patients remains unknown.

This PhD-project is based on a planned randomised controlled study including 50 or more treatment seeking morbidly obese patients who will be randomised to either a 24 week moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) programme or a 24 week high-intensity exercise (HIE) programme. The investigators main hypothesis is that patients randomised to the HIE-program will achieve higher energy expenditure during rest and physical activity after treatment than those allocated to the MIE-programme. In addition, the investigators hypothesise that the HIE-group will achieve a better health related quality of life than the MIE-group after treatment. The investigators also hypothesize that inter-individual variability in adaptation to the two training regimens may be due to genetic factors. If the investigators hypotheses are confirmed, this project might have beneficial clinical implications for future obesity treatment strategies.