Summary
260 well trained male sportsmen between 17 and 30 years of age participating in a variety of events were examined for total serum cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol and compared with 37 moderately active leisure-time sportsmen and 20 sedentary controls of similar ages and sex. Lipoprotein cholesterol distribution was determined by quantitative electrophoresis.
Mean HDL-cholesterol increased progressively from the mean of the sedentary controls to the mean of the long-distance runners, indicating a graded effect of physical activity on HDL-cholesterol. In all sporting groups mean LDL-cholesterol tended to be lower than in the controls, no association between LDL-cholesterol and form of training being apparent. Except for the long-distance runners, all sporting groups tended to be lower in total cholesterol than the controls. The HDL-/total cholesterol and LDL/HDL ratios yielded a better discrimination between the physically active and inactive than the HDL-cholesterol alone.
Significant positive correlations with maximal oxygen uptake and roentgenologically determined heart volume were found for HDL-cholesterol and HDL-/total cholesterol, and negative ones for LDL/HDL. Differences in the regressions among subsets made up of sporting groups under different physical demands suggest a positive relationship between lipoprotein distribution and the magnitude of the trained muscle mass.
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With support of Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, Köln-Lövenich
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Schnabel, A., Kindermann, W. Effect of maximal oxygen uptake and different forms of physical training on serum lipoproteins. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 48, 263–277 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00422987
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00422987