Although exercise training is unable to improve obesity-associated decreases in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, as assessed using chamber function measurements, the effects on LV diastolic myocardial function, as assessed using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), are uncertain. In 32 overweight (n = 11) or obese (n = 21), sedentary or recreationally active men and women (30 to 57 years), we assessed the effects of 6 weeks of exercise training either preceded (n = 16) or followed (n = 16) by a 6-week control period on TDI indices of LV diastolic function (e', e'/a' and E/e') (echocardiography). Diastolic function at baseline was comparable to that noted in overweight and obese participants from a community sample (n = 245), and 56% (n = 18) had e' values below the lower 95% CI of a lean and healthy cohort (n = 60) of the community sample. Exercise training increased peak oxygen consumption (27.4 +/- 4.9 to 29.4 +/- 5.8 mL/kg/min, p = 0.0001), but had no effect on body mass index (p = 0.99). No changes in TDI indices of diastolic function were observed after exercise training in all the participants (e' p = 0.74, a' p = 0.98, e'/a' p = 0.85, E/e' p = 0.26), participants with abnormal e' values (n = 18) (e' p = 0.99, a' p = 0.96, e'/a' p = 0.91, E/e' p = 0.97) or obese participants (n = 21) (e' p = 0.67, a' p = 1.00, e'/a' p = 0.78, E/e' p = 0.11). In conclusion, exercise training, despite increasing cardiorespiratory fitness, is unable to improve obesity-associated decreases in LV diastolic myocardial function.

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