Effect of intensity of resistance exercise on postprandial lipemia

The purpose of this study is to determine whether moderate-intensity resistance exercise (MOD) lowers postprandial lipemia (PPL) as much as high-intensity resistance exercise (HI) of equal work. Ten healthy men performed three trials, each conducted over 2 days. On day 1 of each treatment, they either did not exercise (CON), performed 3 sets of 16 repetitions of 10 exercises at 50% of 8 repetitions maximum (MOD), or performed 3 sets of 8 repetitions of 10 exercises at 100% of 8 repetitions maximum (HI). On the morning of day 2 at 15.5 h postexercise, participants ate a high-fat meal. Venous blood samples were collected, and metabolic rate was measured at rest and 3 h postprandial. HI reduced fasting triglyceride (TG) and TG area under the curve (AUC) (36%, P = 0.011 and 35%, P = 0.014) compared with CON. MOD tended to reduce fasting TG and TG AUC (21%, P = 0.054 and 26%, P = 0.052) compared with CON, but MOD and HI did not differ in fasting TG or TG AUC. Incremental TG AUC did not differ among treatments. MOD and HI did not change resting metabolic rate. HI increased fat oxidation at rest (21%, P = 0.021) and at 3 h postprandial (39%, P = 0.009) relative to CON. MOD tended to increase fat oxidation at rest (18%, P = 0.060) relative to CON. Fat oxidation and metabolic rate did not differ in MOD and HI. MOD and HI increased the fasting quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (4%, P = 0.001 and P = 0.004) relative to CON. As MOD and HI resulted in similar reductions in PPL and increases in fat oxidation, resistance exercise intensity does not influence PPL.