High density lipoprotein (
HDL) cholesterol concentrations have been shown to increase with regular endurance exercise and, therefore, can contribute to a lower risk of
coronary heart disease in physically active individuals compared with sedentary subjects. Although low
HDL cholesterol levels are frequently observed in combination with
hypertriglyceridemia, some individuals may be characterized by isolated
hypoalphalipoproteinemia, ie, low
HDL cholesterol levels in the absence of elevated
triglyceride (TG) concentrations. The present study compared the responses of numerous
lipoprotein-
lipid variables to a 20-week endurance exercise training program in men categorized on the basis of baseline TG and
HDL cholesterol concentrations: (1) low TG and high
HDL cholesterol (normolipidemia), (2) low TG and low
HDL cholesterol (isolated low
HDL cholesterol), (3) high TG and high
HDL cholesterol (isolated high TGs), and (4) high TGs and low
HDL cholesterol (high TG/low
HDL cholesterol). A series of physical and metabolic variables was measured before and after the training program in a sample of 200 men enrolled in the Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training and Genetics (HERITAGE) Family Study. At baseline, men with high TG/low
HDL cholesterol had more visceral adipose tissue than did men with isolated low
HDL cholesterol and men with normolipidemia. The 0.4% (not significant) exercise-induced increase in
HDL cholesterol levels in men with isolated low
HDL cholesterol suggests that they did not benefit from the "HDL-raising" effect of exercise. In contrast, men with high TG/low
HDL cholesterol showed a significant increase in
HDL cholesterol levels (4.9%, P<0.005). Whereas both subgroups of men with elevated TG levels showed reductions in plasma TGs ( approximately -15.0%, P<0.005), only those with high TG/low
HDL cholesterol showed significantly reduced
apolipoprotein B levels at the end of the study (-6.0%, P<0.005). Multiple regression analyses revealed that the exercise-induced change in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (10.6%, P<0.01) was the only significant correlate of the increase in plasma
HDL cholesterol with training in men with high TG/low
HDL cholesterol. Results of the present study suggest that regular endurance exercise training may be particularly helpful in men with low
HDL cholesterol, elevated TGs, and
abdominal obesity.