Changes in female lipoprotein concentrations following acute exercise of varying durations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise duration on lipoprotein metabolism in women following an acute bout of exercise in females. Thirty-two college aged (21.86 $\pm$ 0.58 yrs), moderately trained, (VO$\sb2$ max = 29.40 $\pm$ 0.66 mg/kg$\cdot$min$\sp{-1}$) female novice runners (running under five miles$\cdot$week$\sp{-1}$) volunteered for the study. The subjects visited the laboratory on two occasions. During the first visit the subjects were evaluated for body composition (via hydrostatic weighing), maximal oxygen consumption (VO$\sb2$ max) and ventilatory threshold (VT). The subjects were then matched for VO$\sb2$ max and randomly assigned to one of four groups A-D; Group A was a control group and did not perform a submaximal treadmill test while groups B, C and D each performed a submaximal treadmill at a VO$\sb2$, 20 percent below VT (mean work VO$\sb2$ = 58.8 percent of VO$\sb2$ max) for 15, 30 or 45 minutes, respectively. Blood was sampled pre-exercise, and immediately, one hour, 24 and 48 hours post-exercise. The second treadmill test was scheduled between day three and day eight of the menstrual cycle. Positive correlations were found between VT and HDL, fat weight and LDL-C, fat weight and TC, and relative fat and TC (r = 0.352, 0.367, 0.374 and 0.360, respectively; p $\u3c$ 0.05). Negative relationships between VO$\sb2$ max and LDL-C and VT and LDL-C were also noted (r = $-0.394$ and $-0.366$, respectively; p $\u3c$ 0.05). No changes in hemoconcentration were found. No between group differences were found for any lipid variable (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C or TG). Further, no time differences were found in either HDL-C or LDL-C (p $\u3e$ 0.05). However TC measured immediately post-exercise was significantly greater than the 24 or 48 hour post-exercise measure (172.22, 165.28 and 163.97 mg$\cdot$dl$\sp{-1}$, respectively). Both the pre and immediately post-exercise level of TG was significantly greater than 24 and 48 post-exercise measures (77.47, 79.81, 63.06, 60.75 mg$\cdot$dl$\sp{-1}$, respectively; p $\u3c$ 0.05). These results were consistent with previous studies investigating both acute exercise and exercise training on serum lipoproteins of females. It was concluded that an acute bout of exercise has little affect on serum lipoprotein levels of college-aged females