Acute High Density Lipoprotein Changes with Exercise at Different Intensities

Abstract

It is known that endurance-trained athletes possess higher levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) than sedentary controls, and it has been shown in previous studies that acute exercise may elevate these levels even further. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute exercise response of the plasma HDL's and to determine if the magnitude of the acute response would be affected by the intensity of the exercise. Twelve men (19-41 yrs) ran an equivalent distance (9-12 km) on a treadmill on two separate occasions. On one occasion the exercise was performed at a speed corresponding to 60% of the subject's VO₂ max, and on the other occasion at a speed corresponding to 90% of VO₂ max. Changes in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-C, HDL Apoprotein A (HDL-A), HDL Saturation (HDL-C/HDL-A), lactate (LA) and free fatty acids ( FFA) were measured, and all values were corrected for changes in plasma volume. There were significant increases (p<.01) in HDL-C, HDL-A, and HDL saturation with exercise at both intensities, but greater increases in HDL-C (25% vs 14%) and HDL-A (18% vs 8%) were observed with the higher intensity exercise. Plasma FFA and TG were no different between conditions, although LA concentration rose significantly during the high intensity exercise. The results indicate that increases in HDL components can occur with a relatively moderate exercise session, and that these increases are directly related to the intensity of the exercise.