Effect of physical exercise on lipolysis in white adipocytes

Fatty acids are derived from the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol (TG) found in white adipose tissue, muscle tissue and circulating lipoproteins. The mobilization of free fatty acids (FFA) from white adipose tissue contributes to about 50% of the FFA utilized during moderate-intensity exercise. The delivery of FFA from white adipose tissue is improved by hormone-stimulated lipolytic events in white adipocytes (WA). Thus, the lipolysis in WA that provides fuel for metabolism has been a highly conserved function throughout the course of evolution. This short review outlines our current understanding of the molecular regulation of TG lipases via the lipolytic cascade in WA, as well as provides an account of our recent findings concerning changes in the lipolytic molecules of WA that result from acute and habitual exercise.