Exercise Training and Serum Lipids

Endurance exercise results in increases in the maximum capacity to utilize O₂ made possible by adaptations in the skeletal muscles, in the cardiovascular system, and in the autonomic nervous system. Endurance training is accompanied by increased oxidative capacity of trained muscle, and by enhanced capacity to synthesize two potential intracellular energy stores, glycogen and triglyceride. The fuel utilization during prolonged periods of mild to moderate exercise may be characterized as a triphasic sequence in which muscle glycogen, blood glucose, and free fatty acids predominate as the major energy-yielding substrate. Hormonal responses are possible mediators of many of the metabolic changes observed after exercise. Physical training increases insulin binding to monocytes in the resting state but results in a fall in insulin binding during acute exercise. The amount and intensity of exercise was approximately similar as in the studies, which showed significant changes in serum lipid concentrations. Serum triglycerides can be reduced as a result of heavy exercise.