Training intensity, blood lipids, and apolipoproteins in men with high cholesterol

Crouse, Stephen F., Barbara C. O'Brien, Peter W. Grandjean,Robert C. Lowe, J. James Rohack, John S. Green, and Homer Tolson. Training intensity, blood lipids, and apolipoproteins in men withhigh cholesterol. J. Appl. Physiol.82(1): 270-277, 1997.Twenty-six hypercholesterolemic men (meancholesterol, 258 mg/dl; age, 47 yr; weight, 81.9 kg) completed 24 wk ofcycle ergometer training (3 days/wk, 350 kcal/session) at either high(n = 12) or moderate (n = 14) intensity (80 and 50%maximal O₂ uptake, respectively, randomly assigned) to test the influence of training intensity on bloodlipid and apolipoprotein (apo) concentrations. Allphysiological, lipid, and apo measurements were completed at 0, 8, 16, and 24 wk. Lipid data were analyzed via two × fourrepeated-measures analysis of variance ( = 0.0031). Trainingproduced a significant decrease in body weight and increase in maximalO₂ uptake. No interactions betweenintensity and weeks of training were noted for any lipid or apovariable, and no between-group differences were significant before orthroughout training. Therefore, intensity did not affect the trainingresponse. Regardless of intensity, apo AI and apo B fell 9 and 13%,respectively, by week 16 and remainedlower through week 24 (P < 0.0003). Total cholesterol felltransiently (5.5%) by week 16 (P < 0.0021) but returned to initiallevels by week 24. Triglyceride,low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol did not change with training. In contrast,HDL₂ cholesterol rose 79% aboveinitial levels by week 8 and 82%above initial levels by week 24 (P < 0.0018);HDL₃ cholesterol fell 8 and 13%over the same training intervals (P < 0.0026). These data show that changes in blood lipid and apoconcentrations that accompany training in hypercholesterolemic men arenot influenced by exercise intensity when caloric expenditure is heldconstant.