Objective  To analyze the targeting effect of different exercises on intrahepatic lipid(IHL) content of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and the exercise dose levels.

  Methods  By searching literature in the databases such as Web of Science(WoS), PubMed and CNKI etc., 21 articles were filtered and analyzed according to inclusion & exclusion criteria eventually. The program and effect of aerobic exercise (AE), resistance exercise (RE) and high-intensity interval training(HⅡT) and combination of exercise intervention were compared in NAFLD patients.

  Results  AE reduced IHL content by consuming adipose tissue; RE reduced the accumulation of IHL by promoting the absorption of non-esterified fatty acid(NEFA) in skeletal muscles mainly with the effective increase of muscle mass and strength.Although the short-term effect of AE+RE was statistically indistinguishable from AT or RE alone, combination of RE could maintain the utilization rate of NEFA by skeletal muscle and promote the formation of a virtuous cycle of systemic metabolism as a long-term benefit.

  Conclusions  Different types of exercise can reduce intrahepatic lipid(IHL) content of patients with NAFLD, but the dose and targeted role are different.HⅡT is more efficient and timesaving.The combination of the both is still recommended for NAFLD patients when time and space conditions are available.