Exercise training prevents diastolic dysfunction induced by metabolic syndrome in rats

High fructose consumption contributes to the incidence of metabolic syndrome and, consequently, to cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated whether exercise training prevents high fructose diet-induced metabolic and cardiac morphofunctional alterations. Wistar rats receiving fructose overload (F) in drinking water (100 g/l) were concomitantly trained on a treadmill (FT) for 10 weeks or kept sedentary. These rats were compared with a control group (C). Obesity was evaluated by the Lee index, and glycemia and insulin tolerance tests constituted the metabolic evaluation. Blood pressure was measured directly (Windaq, 2 kHz), and echocardiography was performed to determine left ventricular morphology and function. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA, with significance set at p