Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Postprandial Plasma Triacylglycerol in Sedentary Young Women

Abstract

High-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) such as the 30-s Wingate test attenuates postprandial triacylglycerol (TG), however, the ability of shorter versions of HIIE to reduce postprandial TG is undetermined. Thus, the effect of 8-s sprinting bouts of HIIE on blood TG levels of 12 females after consumption of a high-fat meal (HFM) was examined. Twelve young, sedentary women (BMI 25.1 ± 2.3 kg/m²; age 21.3 ± 2.1 years) completed a maximal oxygen uptake test and then on different days underwent either an exercise or a no-exercise postprandial TG condition. Both conditions involved consuming a HFM after a 12-hr fast. The HFM, in milkshake form provided 4170 kJ (993 Kcal) of energy and 98 g fat. Order was counter-balanced. In the exercise condition participants completed 20-min of HIIE cycling consisting of repeated bouts of 8 s sprint cycling (100-115 rpm) and 12 s of active rest (easy pedaling) 14 hr before consuming the HFM. Blood samples were collected hourly after the HFM for 4 hr. Total postprandial TG was 13% lower, p = .004, in the exercise (5.84 ± 1.08 mmol L⁻¹ 4 h⁻¹) compared with the no-exercise condition (6.71 ± 1.63 mmol L⁻¹ 4 h⁻¹). In conclusion, HIIE significantly attenuated postprandial TG in sedentary young women.

Cardiometabolic Response to a Single High-intensity Interval Exercise Session Versus Breaking up Sedentary Time with Fragmented High-intensity Interval Exercise

“…A 20-min HIIE session of 10 x 60 s cycling at 90% maximum heart rate suppressed 24 h continuous glucose concentrations in people with T2D [17]. When the postprandial assessment occurred the morning after a HIIE session, postprandial triglyceride concentrations were suppressed by sprint interval exercise (SIE) [11,34] and by 10 x 60 s cycling at 85% peak oxygen uptake [23]. However, it is unknown whether performing this type of PA spread across the day is beneficial.…”

High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Postprandial Triacylglycerol

“…Whilst continuous aerobic exercise has a positive effect on many aspects of health, including 128 postprandial TAG concentrations, many individuals still fail to achieve the minimal levels of activity 129 set out in guidelines with 'lack of time' cited as the most common barrier for regular exercise 130 participation [18,19]. For example, in the U.K. ~60% of men and ~70% of women did not meet 131 physical activity recommendations with the most common barriers identified as 'work commitment' 132 (45% men and 34% women) and 'a lack of leisure time' (38% men and 37% women) [ [38,56]. In the first of these, sixty 8 245 second sprints, interspersed with 12 seconds of moderate cycling, reduced TAG concentrations by 246 ~13% assessed over 4 hours the next morning compared with a resting control day in 12 sedentary 247 young women [56].…”

“…For example, in the U.K. ~60% of men and ~70% of women did not meet 131 physical activity recommendations with the most common barriers identified as 'work commitment' 132 (45% men and 34% women) and 'a lack of leisure time' (38% men and 37% women) [ [38,56]. In the first of these, sixty 8 245 second sprints, interspersed with 12 seconds of moderate cycling, reduced TAG concentrations by 246 ~13% assessed over 4 hours the next morning compared with a resting control day in 12 sedentary 247 young women [56]. Importantly, the total exercise session lasted 20 minutes, similar to the time 248 needed for four to six Wingate tests with 4 minute recovery periods, and all women were reported to 249 complete the exercise protocol even though they were sedentary [56].…”

“…In the first of these, sixty 8 245 second sprints, interspersed with 12 seconds of moderate cycling, reduced TAG concentrations by 246 ~13% assessed over 4 hours the next morning compared with a resting control day in 12 sedentary 247 young women [56]. Importantly, the total exercise session lasted 20 minutes, similar to the time 248 needed for four to six Wingate tests with 4 minute recovery periods, and all women were reported to 249 complete the exercise protocol even though they were sedentary [56]. In the second study, forty 6 250 second maximal sprints were found to reduce postprandial TAG concentrations by ~13% the next day 251 10 in nine adolescent boys compared with a rest day prior to a postprandial TAG assessment [38].…”

“…Moreover, one investigation used both longer and shorter sprints and saw no effect of either on TAG 301 concentrations [37] which contrasts with the significant ~13% reductions in TAG after sixty 8 second 302 sprints [56]…”