Effect of exercise on postprandial lipemia in men with hypertriglyceridemia

We examined the effect of exercise on postprandial lipemia (PPL) and insulin resistance in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Subjects were 10 hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) males with insulin resistance [age = 40.1 +/- 2.2 years, body weight = 96.3 +/- 3.3 kg, fasting triglyceride (TG) = 263 +/- 25 mg/dl, VO(2)max = 37 +/- 1.1 ml/kg/min, and Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA-IR, an index of insulin resistance) = 3.05 +/- 0.40]. Each subject performed a control trial (Ctr, no exercise), and three exercise trials at 40% (40%T), 60% (60%T), and 70% (70%T) of their VO(2)max. The order of trials was randomized and there were 1-2 weeks wash-out period between the trials. All subjects had a fat-meal in each trial. In the exercise trials, subjects jogged on a treadmill for 1 h at a designated intensity 12 h prior to a fat-meal ingestion. Blood samples were taken at 0 h (before the meal), and 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after the meal. The plasma TG, area score under TG concentration curve for over an 8 h-period (TG AUC) after the meal, and HOMA-IR were analyzed. The TG AUC score in 40%T was 30% lower (P = 0.003), 60%T was 31% lower (P = 0.02), and 70%T was 39% lower (P = 0.02) than Ctr. There were no significant differences in the TG AUC scores among the exercise trials (P > 0.05). The insulin concentrations in both 60 and 70%T were lower than Ctr (P < 0.01) which did not differ from 40%T. HOMA-IR in both 60%T (P = 0.041) and 70%T (P = 0.002) were lower than Ctr, but not different from 40%T (HOMA-IR: Ctr = 3.05 +/- 0.40, 40%T = 2.67 +/- 0.35, 60%T = 2.49 +/- 0.31, 70%T = 2.21 +/- 0.27). The results suggest that for physically inactive individuals with metabolic syndrome, exercising at low to moderate intensity may be sufficient to attenuate PPL and increase insulin sensitivity, whereas higher intensity exercise may be needed to normalize blood glucose.