Regular exercise may help prevent fatty liver disease through bile acid metabolism

Medical Xpress / American Physiological Society / Function ^ | July 16, 2025 | Benjamin A Kugler et al

[ConservativeMind]

Aerobic exercise and a high capacity for exercise may protect against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as fatty liver disease, by increasing the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids, according to a new study.

MASLD is a chronic condition in which excessive fat is stored in the liver.

This new study offers insights: Researchers propose that exercise prevents or reduces fatty liver, in part, by improving bile acid metabolism. The most prominent way cholesterol is removed from the body is by its conversion to bile acids, which aid the digestion of fat and trigger signals that improve how the body uses sugar and fat. By stimulating bile acid metabolism, exercise increases the disposal of cholesterol and activates signals that improve how the body processes food.

Key findings included:

—High-exercise capacity rats had higher liver bile acid production, more bile acids in their feces, and lower blood levels of bile acids compared to the low-exercise capacity group.

—Daily exercise also increased bile acid synthesis, fecal bile acid loss and protected against fatty liver in the genetically identical mice. This demonstrates that daily exercise provides the same benefit as high exercise capacity due to genetic differences.

—Mice with an impaired ability to produce bile acids experienced no benefit of exercise in preventing fatty liver.

—Aerobic exercise increased bile acid production, and this process was required to prevent fatty liver.

[ConservativeMind]

Aerobic exercise encourages conversion of cholesterol into bile acid, some of which will be excreted.

[ConservativeMind]

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List
This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

[logi_cal869]

Here we go again from supposedly ‘smart people’ (”cholesterol is bad” without addressing other rather obvious factors).

If cholesterol is so bad, then my AI bot clone has been posting to FR for nearly 10 years. /s

[Buttons12]

—Mice with an impaired ability to produce bile acids experienced no benefit of exercise in preventing fatty liver.
—Aerobic exercise increased bile acid production, and this process was required to prevent fatty liver.

Hmm.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[BipolarBob]

WE die without cholesterol.

[logi_cal869]

Exactly. More importantly, we eventually die from the condition they continually (and conveniently) ignore:

Inflammation, to which elevated blood cholesterol is a reaction.

[BipolarBob]

We’re on the same side.

[logi_cal869]

Yeah, I figured. The elaboration was for lurkers.

[Red Badger]

I’m doomed!........................