Effect of exercise training on plasma levels and functional properties of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Intense lifestyle modifications can change the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration. The aim of the present study was to analyze the early effects of short-term exercise training, without any specific diet, on the HDL cholesterol plasma levels and HDL functional characteristics in patients with the metabolic syndrome (MS). We studied 30 sedentary subjects, 20 with and 10 without the MS. The patients with the MS underwent moderate intensity exercise training for 3 months on bicycle ergometers. Blood was sampled before and after training for biochemical analysis, paraoxonase-1 activity, and HDL subfraction composition and antioxidative capacity. Lipid transfer to HDL was assayed in vitro using a labeled nanoemulsion as the lipid donor. At baseline, the MS group had greater triglyceride levels and a lower HDL cholesterol concentration and lower paraoxonase-1 activity than did the controls. Training decreased the plasma triglycerides but did not change the low-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, exercise training increased the HDL subfractions' antioxidative capacity and paraoxonase-1 activity. After training, the MS group had compositional changes in the smallest HDL subfractions associated with increased free cholesterol and cholesterol ester transfers to HDL, reaching normal values. In conclusion, the present investigation has added relevant information about the dissociation between the quantitative and qualitative aspects of HDL after short-term exercise training without any specific diet in those with the MS, highlighting the importance of evaluating the functional aspects of the lipoproteins, in addition to their plasma levels.