Amount and Intensity of Physical Activity, Fitness, and Serum Lipids in Pre-Menopausal Women

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the association between the amount and the intensity of physical activity (PA) and lipid profile and fitness in pre-menopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted, sampling was stratified according to two age groups and two levels of PA, as assessed by the Minnesota Leisure Time PA Questionnaire. Serum lipid profile and sex hormones were measured. The study included 403 women. Total energy expenditure on PA was directly associated with HDL-cholesterol and inversely with atherogenic index. When intensity was analyzed, only moderate PA was associated with a desirable lipid profile. A decrease of 1.59 mg/dL (standard error [SE] = 0.77) and 0.07 units (SE = 0.02) in LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index, respectively, and an increase of 1.02 mg/dL (SE = 0.34) in HDL-cholesterol were observed per each 100 MET · min/day spent in moderate PA. After adjusting for body fat mass, the association between moderate PA and LDL-cholesterol was no longer statistically significant (regression coefficient = - 1.21; SE = 0.81) whereas the association between moderate PA and atherogenic index (regression coefficient = - 0.05; SE = 0.02) and HDL-cholesterol (regression coefficient = 0.98; SE = 0.35) remained statistically significant. Only vigorous PA was associated with V·O_2max. V·O_2max increased 2.35 mL/kg (SE = 0.39) per each 100 MET · min/day spent in vigorous PA. Only moderate PA is associated with a lower LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index, and higher HDL-cholesterol. The association between PA and LDL is dependent on body fat mass, but the association between PA and HDL is independent of it. Only vigorous intensity PA is associated with fitness.

Cholesterol - lipoproteins - exercise - physical fitness - triglycerides

References

• 1 American College of Sports Medicine .Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia, PA; Lea & Febiger 1991: 55-92
• 2 Ashton W D, Nanchahal K, Wood D A. Leisure-time physical activity and coronary risk factors in women.  J Cardiovasc Risk. 2000;  7 259-266
• 3 Bijnen F C, Caspersen D J, Mosterd W L. Physical inactivity as a risk factor for coronary heart disease: a WHO and International Society and Federation of Cardiology position statement.  Bull World Health Organ. 1994;  72 1-4
• 4 Brownell K D, Bachorik P S, Ayerle R S. Changes in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in men and women after a program of moderate exercise.  Circulation. 1982;  65 477-484
• 5 Bruce R A, Kusumi F, Hosmer D. Maximal oxygen intake and nomographic assessment of functional aerobic impairment in cardiovascular disease.  Am Heart J. 1973;  285 546-562
• 6 Elosua R, García M, Aguilar A, Molina L, Covas M I, Marrugat J. Validation of the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire in Spanish women.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;  32 1431-1437
• 7 Elosua R, Marrugat J, Molina L, Pons S, Pujol E MARATHOM investigators and the. Validation of the Minnesota leisure time physical activity questionnaire among Spanish men.  Am J Epidemiol. 1994;  139 1192-1209
• 8 Fletcher G F, Blair S N, Blumenthal J, Caspersen C, Chaitman B, Epstein S, Falls H, Froelicher E S, Froelicher V F, Pina I L. Statement on exercise. Benefits and recommendations for physical activity programs for all Americans. A statement for health professionals by the Committee on exercise and cardiac rehabilitation of the Council on clinical cardiology, American Heart Association.  Circulation. 1992;  86 340-344
• 9 Hartung G H, Reeves R S, Foreyt J P, Patsch W, Gotto A M. Effect of alcohol intake and exercise on plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol subfractions and apolipoprotein A - I in women.  Am J Cardiol. 1986;  58 148-151
• 10 Heim D L, Holcomb C A, Loughin T M. Exercise mitigates the association of abdominal obesity with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in premenopausal women: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;  100 1347-1353
• 11 Jacobs Jr D R, Aisworth B E, Hartman T J, Leon A S. A simultaneous evaluation of ten commonly used physical activity questionnaires.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993;  25 81-91
• 12 Kesaniemi Y A, Danforth Jr E, Jensen M D, Kopelman P G, Lefevre P, Reeder B A. Dose-response issues concerning physical activity and health: an evidence-based symposium.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;  33 S351-S358
• 13 Keys A, Anderson J T, Grande F. Prediction of serum-cholesterol responses of man to changes in fats in the diet.  Lancet. 1957;  2 959-966
• 14 Kokkinos P F, Fernhall B. Physical activity and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels: what is the relationship?.  Sports Med. 1999;  28 307-314
• 15 Lee I M, Rexrode K M, Cook N R, Manson J E, Buring J E. Physical activity and coronary heart disease in women: is “no pain, no gain” passé?.  JAMA. 2001;  285 1447-1454
• 16 Leon A S, Sanchez O A. Response of blood lipids to exercise training alone or combined with dietary intervention.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;  33 (Suppl 6) S502-S515
• 17 Lokey E A, Tran Z V. Effects of exercise training on serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in women: a meta-analysis.  Int J Sports Med. 1989;  10 424-429
• 18 Marrugat J, Elosua R, Covas M I, Molina L, Rubiés-Prat J MARATHOM investigators and the. Amount and intensity of physical activity, physical fitness and serum lipids in men.  Am J Epidemiol. 1996;  143 562-569
• 19 Masiá R, Pena A, Marrugat J, Vila J, Pavesi M, Covas M I, Aubó C, Elosua R. High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Gerona, Spain, a province with low myocardial infarction incidence.  J Epidemiol Community Health. 1998;  52 707-715
• 20 Morris J N, Adam C, Chave S PW, Sirey C, Epstein L, Sheehan D J. Vigorous exercise in leisure time and the incidence of coronary heart disease.  Lancet. 1973;  1 333-339
• 21 Morris J N, Heady J A, Raffle P AB, Roberts C G, Parks J W. Coronary heart disease and physical activity at work.  Lancet. 1953;  2 553-559
• 22 Owens J F, Matthews K A, Wing R R, Kuller L H. Can physical activity mitigate the effects of aging in middle-aged women?.  Circulation. 1992;  85 1265-1270
• 23 Paffenbarger R S, Wing A L, Hyde R T. Physical activity as an index of heart attack risk in college alumni.  Am J Epidemiol. 1978;  108 161-175
• 24 Pollock M L, Foster C, Schmidt D, Hellman C, Linnerud A C, Ward A. Comparative analysis of physiologic responses to three different maximal graded exercise test protocols in healthy women.  Am Heart J. 1982;  103 363-373
• 25 Powell K E, Thompson P D, Caspersen C J, Kendrick L S. Physical activity and the incidence of coronary heart disease.  Ann Rev Public Health. 1987;  8 253-287
• 26 Riedel M, Raffenbeul W, Lichtlen P. Ovarian sex steroids and atherosclerosis.  Clin Invest. 1993;  71 406-412
• 27 Schröder H, Covas M I, Marrugat J, Pena A, Alcántara M, Masiá R. Use of a three-day estimated food record, a 72-hour recall, and a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment in a Mediterranean Spanish population.  Clin Nutr. 2001;  20 429-437
• 28 Stampfer M J, Hu F B, Manson J E, Rimm E B, Willett W C. Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women through diet and lifestyle.  N Engl J Med. 2000;  343 16-22
• 29 Taylor H L, Jacobs Jr D R, Schucker B, Knudsen J, Leon A S, Debacker G. A questionnaire for the assessment of leisure time physical activities.  J Chron Dis. 1978;  31 741-755
• 30 Taylor P A, Ward A. Women, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and exercise.  Arch Int Med. 1993;  153 1178-1184
• 31 Toth M J, Poehlman E T. Resting metabolic rate and cardiovascular disease risk in resistance- and aerobic-trained middle-aged women.  Int J Obes Metab Disord. 1995;  19 691-698
• 32 Vuori I, Andersen L B, Cavill N, Marti B, Sellier P. Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in the European Union. Brussels; European Heart Network 1999
• 33 Williams P T. High density lipoprotein cholesterol and other risk factors for coronary heart disease in female runners.  N Engl J Med. 1996;  334 1325-1327