Regular aerobic exercise has now been established as an effective therapy for reducing liver fat in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), even in the absence of weight loss. However the efficacy of regular exercise in advanced liver disease such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is yet to be established. Recent evidence has suggested that high intensity exercise may be required for benefit and, as such, high intensity interval training (HIIT) may be an effective modality for improving cardiovascular, metabolic and liver health in patients with NASH. A key feature of the success of any exercise intervention is the ability to adhere to the intervention in the long-term. The ability to perform HIIT on a regular basis, in an unsupervised environment has yet to be determined.

Funding Body: Diabetes Australia Research Program & Exercise and Sports Science Australia

Project members

The University of Queensland researchers involved in this project are:

Dr Shelley Keating

Senior Lecturer
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences

Professor Jeff Coombes

Professor & Director
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences