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Published on: February 2, 2019
Continuous and intermittent walking alters HDL(2)-C and LCATa
Sara C Campbell1, Robert J Moffatt, Michael R Kushnick
1Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1493, USA. saracamp@rci.rutgers.edu
Continuous or intermittent exercise, expending the same calories, significantly impacts HDL(2)-C levels by increasing lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity. This suggests exercise type does not alter cholesterol transport, but rather its intensity and duration.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Lipid Metabolism
Background:
- Understanding how different exercise modalities affect lipid profiles is crucial for cardiovascular disease prevention.
- Reverse cholesterol transport and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size are key indicators of cardiovascular risk.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions, particularly HDL(2)-C, play a significant role in cholesterol efflux.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of continuous exercise (CE) versus intermittent exercise (IE) at the same calorie expenditure on reverse cholesterol transport and LDL particle size.
- To compare the effects of two (IE 2) and three (IE 3) intermittent exercise sessions against continuous exercise (CE).
Main Methods:
- Sixteen healthy men completed three randomized exercise trials (CE, IE 2, IE 3), each expending 450 calories.
- Blood samples were collected immediately post-exercise and at 24 and 48 hours.
- Analysis included total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HDL-C, HDL subfractions (HDL(2)-C, HDL(3)-C), LDL particle size, lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity (LCATa), and cholesterol ester transfer protein activity (CETPa).
Main Results:
- HDL(2)-C significantly increased 48 hours post-exercise in both CE and IE 2 groups.
- The IE 3 group showed significant increases in HDL(2)-C at 24 hours (39%) and 48 hours (66%).
- Increased HDL(2)-C was positively correlated with increased LCATa, observed at 48 hours in CE and IE 3 groups. No changes in LDL particle size or CETPa were noted.
Conclusions:
- Both continuous and intermittent exercise, when matched for calorie expenditure, significantly alter the HDL(2)-C subfraction.
- The observed changes in HDL(2)-C are augmented by increased lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity.
- Exercise modality (continuous vs. intermittent) does not appear to influence LDL particle size or cholesterol ester transfer protein activity.
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