Aerobic exercise and postprandial lipemia in men with the metabolic syndrome

It is currently unclear as to how exercise prescription variables influence attenuations of postprandial lipemia (PPL) in men with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) after exercise. Therefore, the purposes of this investigation were to compare the effects of low- and moderate-intensity exercise and accumulated versus continuous exercise on PPL in males with MetS.

Fourteen males with MetS (waist circumference (WC) = 110.2 +/- 10.9 cm; triglycerides (TG) = 217 +/- 84 mg dL(-1); fasting blood glucose = 105 +/- 7 mg dL(-1); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) = 44 +/- 7 mg dL(-1); systolic blood pressure (SBP) = 120 +/- 12 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure (DBP) = 76 +/- 10 mm Hg) completed a control condition consisting of a high-fat meal and blood sampling at 2 h intervals for 6 h. Next, participants completed the following exercise conditions: 1) continuous moderate-intensity (MOD-1), 2) continuous low-intensity (LOW-1), and 3) two accumulated moderate-intensity sessions (MOD-2). The test meal and blood sampling were repeated 12-14 h after exercise. Area under the curve (AUC) scores and temporal postprandial responses were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA for TG and insulin.

The TG AUC decreased by 27% after LOW-1. TG concentrations were also reduced by 22% and 21% at 4 h postmeal after LOW-1 and MOD-1, yet TG parameters were no different from the control condition after MOD-2 (P < 0.05 for all).

These findings indicate that 500 kcal of continuous aerobic exercise before a meal attenuates PPL in men with MetS. This outcome can be achieved through low- or moderate-intensity exercise performed in a single session. Accumulating moderate-intensity exercise does not appear to effectively modulate PPL in men with MetS.