SERUM LIPID LEVELS AS AFFECTED BY DIETARY FAT, EXERCISE, AND BODY COMPOSITION IN ADOLESCENT HUMANS AND WEANLING RATS AND A NUTRITION SURVEY OF ADOLESCENT WRESTLERS

A two-part project investigated the role of dietary fat, exercise and body composition on serum lipid levels. A third project examined nutrition knowledge and certain practices of adolescent wrestlers. Six male and six female adolescents were fed diets with two levels of fat during a two week controlled feeding study and their self imposed exercise levels were monitored. Results suggested that feeding the low fat diet resulted in lowered serum cholesterol, higher serum triglycerides, and a lower high-density lipoprotein/cholesterol ratio than when feeding the moderate fat diet. However, sex and activity level also significantly affected these lipid patterns which may be due in part to differences in body fat. A two month study with sixty rats using three levels of dietary fat was done and total body composition and serum cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were examined. Carcasses of rats on the higher fat diet were larger in all body components but the gain was primarily body fat. Both body fat and weight gain were more affected by level of dietary fat than level of exercise. The serum lipids examined were not statistically significantly different. The third project was a survey of 122 adolescent wrestlers. Results showed an increasingly restricted diet as time for competition grew near. Weight reducing methods, weight losses and gains revealed some practices that may be unhealthy for a growing adolescent. No athlete knew their serum lipid values and few knew their body fat percentage. Nutritional knowledge of the wrestlers was low and lack of some knowledge could lead to harmful dietary practices. Responses to attitude statements revealed an appreciation that nutrition is important to the athlete