Research

Mixed

Higher levels of habitual physical activity are associated with lower intrahepatic fat (IHF) content in humans, independent of BMI, insulin resistance, and adiponectin levels.

If you want to reduce liver fat, regular physical activity is a key tool, independent of your weight. This study used a validated questionnaire to measure habitual activity (work, sport, leisure) and found that those with the highest activity levels had significantly lower liver fat. You don't need to be an elite athlete; consistent engagement in sports and leisure-time physical activity (like walking or cycling) is associated with healthier liver fat levels.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
This study demonstrated that a higher level of habitual physical activity is associated with a lower IHF content and suggested that this relationship may be due to the effect of exercise per se.
Gianluca Perseghin et al. · Diabetes Care · 2007

Why this rating

Cross-sectional observational study with a moderate sample size (n=191) and rigorous measurement (MRS), but lacks causal inference due to lack of longitudinal intervention.

Source

Habitual Physical Activity Is Associated With Intrahepatic Fat Content in Humans

Gianluca Perseghin et al. · Diabetes Care · 2007

DOI 10.2337/dc06-2032

cross_sectional · n=191Cited 321×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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