Objective: to test the hypothesis that acute physical exercise would change the fatty acids in the serum of individuals with increased body weight.
Method: sixty-six sedentary women with excess weight were included in the sample (BMI = 29.6 ± 4.2). They were aged 24.4 ± 3.6 years and were randomly divided into control and exercise groups. After 12 hours fasting, basal blood collection was performed. Twelve hours after the first collection, the exercise group was submitted to a physical exercise session with energy expenditure of 250 kcal. The volunteers underwent a second blood collection 24 hours after the first one and dosed the fatty acids: pelargonic, azelaic, elaidic and oleic.
Results: physical exercise did not change the fatty acid profile response for both the intragroup analysis and intergroup analysis. Exercise group: pelargonic (before = 0.12 ± 0.06% vs after = 0.15 ± 0.14%, p = 0.507); azelaic (before = 20.3 ± 10.5% vs after = 27.7 ± 25.4%, p = 0.295); elaidic (before = 0.03 ± 0.01% vs after = 0.04 ± 0.01%, p = 0.328); oleic (before = 16.1 ± 7.4% vs after = 20.3 ± 14.6%, p = 0.236).
Control group: pelargonic (before = 0.70 ± 0.45% vs after = 0.71 ± 0.51%, p = 0.776); azelaic (before = 62.1 ± 26% vs after = 57.1 ± 27%, p = 0.197); elaidic (before = 0.05 ± 0.02% mg/dl vs after = 0.05 ± 0.03%, p = 0.530); oleic (before = 26.8 ± 22.7% mg/dl vs after = 29.0 ± 22.4%, p = 0.525).
Conclusion: in women with overweight, low intensity physical exercise is not capable of changing the medium-chain fatty acids in the first 12 hours.