Changes in serum lipid and lipoprotein measures after maximal exercise in men

Normolipidaemic, healthy male volunteers (age range 20-23 years) were studied after a session of three maximal exercises and serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were measured. The exercise programmes, one of which was performed each week, consisted of a triangular progressive test (TPT), a rectangular sustained test (RST) and an interval endurance test (IET). There was a significant (P less than 0.05) increase of 14% in serum total cholesterol concentrations after TPT, 9.6% after RST and 14% after IET. Serum triglyceride concentrations increased by 17% after TPT, 5.7% after RST and 8.2% after IET, but increases were not significant. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein (A-I, A-II) concentrations rose significantly (P less than 0.05) after TPT. There were also insignificant increases in AI, AII and LDL-C after RST and IET, whereas HDL-C rose significantly (P less than 0.05) after IET. It is concluded that the three maximal exercises had similar metabolic effects which were independent of the exercise duration.