Effects of exercise training at an intensity relative to lactate threshold in mildly obese women

To determine the effects of exercise training on the anthropometric and physiologic characteristics, twenty-eight mildly obese women were studied prior to and following a 14-week exercise training program. The present data demonstrated that regular aerobic training at an intensity corresponding to lactate threshold (LT) led to significant improvements in VO2max (12%) and VO2LT (16%) and significant reductions in systolic (5%) and diastolic blood pressure (9%). Weight (5%) and percent body fat (11%) decreased significantly, while LBM remained essentially unchanged. Although the change in HDLC and HDLC/TC did not reach statistical significance, the TC (8%) and LDLC (7%) decreased significantly. These alterations in cardiorespiratory, anthropometric, and metabolic characteristics clearly demonstrate that training intensity relative to LT may be appropriate for obese individuals to improve the aerobic capacity, lipid-lipoprotein metabolism, and anthropometric profile.