Effects of a 6-month industrial fitness programme on serum lipid concentrations

The serum lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) has been studied in 98 men and 158 women before and 6 months after introducing an employee fitness programme. Over this period, the sample sorted itself into 4 sub-groups (non-participants, drop-outs, high adherents, and low adherents). The high-adherents attended 2--3 30-min physical activity classes per week over the 6-month study, progressing to 15--17 min of aerobic activity per session, with significant gains of predicted maximum oxygen intake, and reductions of body fat. Nevertheless, there were few "favourable" changes of lipids that could be related to the physical activity sessions. A decrease of total cholesterol (mainly in the women) was unrelated to the changes of maximum oxygen intake, and occurred equally in non-participants and high adherents. High adherent women showed a decrease of LDL cholesterol, but this also was almost matched by changes in non-participants, while the main response of HDL cholesterol was a decrease in non-participants and drop-outs rather than an increase in high-adherents. It is concluded that if data are collected while subjects are in energy balance and persisting with their activity, a programme of the intensity practical in an employee fitness class has little impact upon blood lipids.