Background: A single session of exercise has been reported to reduce fasting and postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations on the subsequent day. It is possible that exercise also reduces chylomicron particle number, which may underlie the observed reduction in postprandial triacylglycerol concentration. In the present study we aimed to determine whether a single session of exercise reduces fasting and postprandial chylomicron particle number on the subsequent day. In a randomised crossover design eight lean and healthy male and female subjects attended two postprandial testing days. On the previous day the subjects either performed 90 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or did not perform any exercise. Fasting blood samples were then collected prior to ingestion of a moderate fat mixed meal (0.44 g fat, 0.94 g carbohydrate, 0.27 g protein/kg body weight), blood was then collected after 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 8 h.
Results: The fasting and postprandial apolipoprotein B48 concentration (marker of chylomicron particle number) was not affected by prior exercise. However exercise reduced fasting triacylglycerol concentration by 16% (P < 0.05) and there was a trend towards a reduction in the total area under the postprandial triacylglycerol curve (23%; P = 0.053). However when corrected for baseline concentration postprandial triacylglycerol concentration was not affected by prior exercise.
Conclusion: A single session of exercise of moderate intensity and 90 minutes duration reduces fasting triacylglycerol levels, however fasting and postprandial chylomicron particle number was unaffected. Furthermore it appears that previously observed reductions in postprandial triacylglycerol levels following exercise are only mediated following consumption of high, non-physiologically relevant doses of fat.