Chronic aerobic exercise improves insulin sensitivity and modulates Nrf2 and NF‑κB/IκBα pathways in the skeletal muscle of rats fed with a high fat diet.

The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the ameliorative effects of chronic aerobic exercise on non‑alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in rat skeletal muscle. Female Sprague‑Dawley rats (n=6‑9 per group) were divided into four groups: i) Rats fed with normal chow; ii) exercise rats fed with normal chow + exercise (run on a rotarod for 30 min per day from 9‑12 weeks); iii) rats fed with a high‑fat diet (HFD); iv) rats fed with an HFD + exercise. All HFD rats were fed with an HFD consisting of 30% fat from fish oil throughout the study for 12 weeks.