A single HIIT session does not alter blood sphingolipid levels in healthy young adults: The SphingoHIIT randomized
Thomas Angst1, Nadia Weber1, Seraina Fischer1,2
1Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) did not significantly alter blood sphingolipid levels in healthy young adults. These findings suggest sphingolipids may be resilient to acute exercise, indicating potential as stable cardiometabolic risk biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Metabolic Health
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Sphingolipids and ceramides are implicated in cardiometabolic diseases.
- Ceramide-based scores predict cardiometabolic risk beyond LDL cholesterol.
- The impact of exercise on sphingolipid levels is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of a single high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session on blood sphingolipid levels.
- To determine if acute exercise modulates sphingolipid concentrations in healthy young individuals.
Main Methods:
- The SphingoHIIT study was a randomized controlled trial comparing HIIT (4x4 min at 85-95% max heart rate) to a control group (rest).
- Thirty-six healthy young adults (20-29 years, 50% female) were randomized.
- Sphingolipid levels were measured from dried blood spots before and at multiple time points after the intervention, with controlled conditions for sex and diet.
Main Results:
- Forty-seven sphingolipid species were analyzed.
- No significant differences in sphingolipid levels were observed between the HIIT and control groups post-intervention.
- These results remained significant after adjusting for covariates like sex, body fat, fitness, and physical activity.
Conclusions:
- Circulating sphingolipids appear resilient to an acute bout of intensive exercise.
- Sphingolipids' stability suggests potential as reliable biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk.
- Further research is needed to explore the effects of regular exercise on sphingolipids and cardiometabolic health.
Introduction:
Sphingolipids and ceramides have been identified as critical drivers of cardiometabolic diseases. Ceramide-based scores were developed, predicting cardiometabolic risk independently of and beyond low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. To date, it remains largely unknown whether exercise can modulate sphingolipid levels.
Methods:
The SphingoHIIT study was the first parallel randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT; 4 ×4 min at 85-95 % of maximal heart rate) on blood sphingolipid levels. Thirty-six healthy young individuals (aged 20-29 years; 50 % female) were randomly assigned to a HIIT (n = 18) or control group (physical rest, n = 18). Sphingolipid levels were measured from dried blood spots collected over three days before and at five time points after the intervention (2, 15, 30, 60 min, and 24 h). Study conditions were tightly controlled: females were tested during the early follicular phase of their menstrual cycle, and standardized meals were provided for four consecutive days before blood sampling.
Results:
Forty-seven sphingolipid species were acquired, including 25 ceramides, eight glycosphingolipids, eight sphingomyelins, and six sphingoid bases. After adjusting for sex, body fat mass, cardiorespiratory fitness, and daily physical activity, linear mixed models showed no significant differences in sphingolipid levels between the HIIT and control groups at any post-intervention time point.
Conclusion:
The present findings suggest that circulating sphingolipids are resilient to an acute bout of intensive exercise, an interesting feature for potential biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk. Future studies should investigate whether regular exercise influences sphingolipid levels and improves cardiometabolic health in different clinical populations.
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