THE EFFECTS OF MENOPAUSAL STATUS AND EXERCISE TRAINING ON SERUM-LIPIDS AND THE ACTIVITIES OF INTRAVASCULAR ENZYMES RELATED TO LIPID TRANSPORT

The study purpose was to compare the effect of exercise training on se rum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations and the activities of intr avascular enzymes related to lipid transport in previously untrained e umenorrheic, premenopausal (PRM) women (n = 21: mean age, 36 +/- 3 yea rs) and estrogen-free postmenopausal (POM) women (n = 16; mean age, 68 +/- 8 years). Subjects trained at a progressive intensity and duratio n (50% to 75% maximal O-2 consumption [(V) over dot O-2max], 200 to 30 0 kcal/session) 4 d/wk for 12 weeks. Before and after training, (V) ov er dot O-2max, body weight, relative body fat, and fasting blood sampl es were obtained following 2 weeks on a standardized diet designed to maintain body weight and during the early follicular stage for the PRM group. Blood samples were analyzed for serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the c holesterol content of the HDL3 subfraction, apolipoprotein (apo)A-l an d apoB, lipoprotein(a), and the activity of lecithin:cholesterol acylt ransferase (LCAT). Total and hepatic triglyceride lipase activity (HTG LA) were determined from plasma samples obtained after heparin adminis tration. The cholesterol content of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL2 subfractions and endothelial-bound lipoprotein lipase activit y (LPLA) were calculated. A two (group) x two (time) multivariate ANOV A (MANOVA), with repeated measures for time indicated that the exercis e-induced changes in physiological measurements, serum lipid or apolip oprotein concentrations, or enzyme activities did not differ between g roups. Serum concentrations of TC, LDL-C, and HDL3 cholesterol, TG, an d apo A-l and apoB were higher in POM women compared with the PRM grou p (P <.05 for all). For the combined groups, body weight and relative body fat did not change with training, but (V) over dot O-2max increas ed an average of 18.5% (P <.05). LPLA, HTGLA, and LCAT activity were u naltered with exercise training. Except for a small but significant de crease in HDL-C (-5.5%) and an elevation in apoB (4.3%; P <.05 for bot h), the concentrations of serum lipids and apolipoproteins did not cha nge over the training period. We conclude that in previously untrained women, menopausal status does not influence the exercise training res ponse of serum lipids or apolipoproteins or activities of intravascula r enzymes related to lipid transport. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saund ers Company.