The effect of endurance training on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in middle-aged males

Abstract

Serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels were measured before and after a 12-wk program of moderate-intensity endurance training. The training program consisted of walking and/or jogging, at least three sessions.wk-1 of at least 30 min duration, at an intensity producing 60-85% HRmax reserve. Twenty-eight previously sedentary middle-aged Caucasian males matched for age, body mass, and body mass index (BMI) were randomly allocated to either an exercise (N = 17, mean age +/- SEM = 51.57 +/- 1.25 yr) or a control (N = 11, mean age +/- SEM = 50.0 +/- 1.15 yr) group. Pre- and post-training median Lp(a) levels, measured by immunoturbidimetric analysis, were not significantly different in either the exercise (pre 13.0, post 15.0 mg.dl-1) or the control subjects (pre 14.0, post 12.0 mg.dl-1) (P > 0.05). Kendall Rank correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between the level of Lp(a) and any other variable in either group before or after training. In the exercisers, a significant increase (P < 0.05) was recorded in the estimated mean VO2max (pre 33.39 +/- 1.70, post 37.7 +/- 1.75 ml.kg-1 min-1). These data indicate that the level of Lp(a) was not influenced by a 12-wk program of moderate-intensity endurance training, and are consistent with previous reports suggesting that Lp(a) level is not altered by lifestyle factors.

Minor changes in blood lipids after 6 weeks of high-volume low- intensity physical activity with strict energy balance control

“…The HDL increase in their study was not related to changes in VO 2max but to the total weekly physical activity duration (Sunami et al 1999). We did not observe an effect of physical activity on Lp(a), which is similar to other studies (Hubinger and Mackinnon 1996;Mackinnon and Hubinger 1999). We found differences in Apo-B/Apo-A1 ratio as well as a tendency for a difference in Apo-B concentrations between the protocols, suggesting a minor effect of physical activity on apo-lipoprotein concentration.…”

Lipoprotein (a): impact by ethnicity and environmental and medical conditions

“…Overall, the magnitude of exerciseinduced changes in Lp(a) levels was modest, and any impact related to specific apo(a) size isoforms has not been addressed. Despite improvements in fitness and other plasma lipoprotein concentrations, intervention studies extending from a few weeks to 4 years have not re ported any changes in median Lp(a) concentration in re sponse to moderate exercise training (83,(91)(92)(93)(94). In a large number of Japanese subjects, Lp(a) concentrations were significantly lower in subjects with a BMI of >26 kg/ m 2 than in subjects with a BMI of 26 kg/m 2 in both sexes, and BMI in females was a significant independent variable (62).…”

Individuals with Extreme Inactivity Do Not Have Abnormal Serum Lipoprotein (a) Levels

“…In contrast, in a study of middle-aged men, Hubinger et al [9] failed to document any change in serum Lp(a) after a 12 week program of 3 days/week, low-to-moderate intensity exercise.…”