Research

Energy balance

Prescribed exercise (aerobic or resistance) significantly reduces intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) in NAFLD patients independent of significant weight loss or dietary intervention.

To reduce liver fat in NAFLD, engage in moderate-intensity exercise (aerobic or resistance) for 30-60 minutes, 3-7 times per week, for at least 8 weeks. You do not need to lose weight or change your diet to see benefits in liver fat content, although combining exercise with diet yields greater reductions. Focus on consistency and moderate intensity (45-75% VO2 peak) rather than extreme intensity or weight loss expectations.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The beneficial effects of exercise on intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) were seen even in the absence of significant weight loss.
Pegah Golabi et al. · World Journal of Gastroenterology · 2016

Why this rating

Systematic review of 8 randomized controlled trials with objective imaging (H-MRS/Biopsy), though sample sizes per study were small.

Source

Effectiveness of exercise in hepatic fat mobilization in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Systematic review

Pegah Golabi et al. · World Journal of Gastroenterology · 2016

DOI 10.3748/wjg.v22.i27.6318

systematic_review · n=433Cited 171×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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