POSTPRANDIAL LIPEMIA - EFFECTS OF INTERMITTENT VERSUS CONTINUOUS EXERCISE

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether exercise perf ormed in continuous and discontinuous formats reduced postprandial lip emia to a similar degree, Methods: Fifteen normolipidemic and three bo rderline hyperlipidemic healthy males (ages 30.6 +/- 9.0 (mean +/- SD) yr, BMI 23.1 +/- 1.4 kg.m(-2)) participated in three trials, each con ducted over 2 d. Subjects refrained from exercise for the 2 d precedin g each trial. On day one, subjects rested (control trial), or ran at 6 0% of maximal oxygen uptake in either one 90-min session (continuous e xercise trial), or three 30-min sessions (intermittent exercise trial) . On day two, subjects ingested a high-fat test breakfast (1.2 g fat, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 70 kJ energy per kilogram body mass). Blood sample s were obtained in the fasted stare and at intervals for 6 h postprand ially. Results: Fasting plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations di d not differ between trials. Areas under the TAG versus time curves we re 18.1 +/- 6.7% (mean +/- SEM) and 17.7 +/- 7.6% (both P < 0.05) lowe r than control in the continuous exercise and intermittent exercise tr ials, respectively. Plasma glucose responses to the test meal did not differ between trials, but the serum insulin response was lower in the intermittent exercise trial compared with that in the control. Conclu sion: The results suggest that both intermittent and continuous exerci se can reduce postprandial lipemia.