SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN VLDL-TRIACYLGLYCEROL AND GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN OBESE SUBJECTS FOLLOWING 10 DAYS OF TRAINING

We characterized the effect of ten days of training on lipid metabolis m in 6 [age 37.2 (2.3) years] sedentary, obese [BMT 34.4 (3.0) kg . m( -2)] males with normal glucose tolerance. An oral glucose tolerance te st was performed prior to and at the end of the 10 d of training perio d. The duration of each daily exercise session was 40 min at an intens ity equivalent to similar to 75% of the age predicted maximum heart ra te. Blood measurements were performed after an overnight fast, before and at the end of the 10 d period. Plasma triacylglycerol was signific antly (p < 0.05) following exercise training (2.15 +/- 0.29 vs. 1.55 /- 0.28 mmol . l(-1)). Very low density lipoprotein-triacylglycerol wa s also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced (1.82 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.29 +/- 0.2 9 mmol . l(-1)). No significant changes in high density lipoprotein-ch olesterol were observed as a result of training. Following training fa sting plasma glucose and fasting plasma insulin were significantly red uced [Glucose: 5.9 (0.2) mmol . l(-1) vs. 5.3 (0.22) mmol . l(-1) (p < 0.05): Insulin 264.3 (53.8) rho . mol . l(-1) vs. 200.9 (30.1) rho mo l . l(-1), p = 0.05]. The total area under the glucose curve during th e OGTT decreased significantly (p < 0.05). These preliminary data sugg est that short-term exercise, without concomitant loss of body mass, i nduces favorable changes in plasma triacylglycerol, and very low densi ty lipoprotein-triacylglycerol and glucose tolerance but has no effect on high density lipoproteincholesterol.