Volume 91, Issue 5, May (2004), pp. 683-687 © The Author 2004
doi:10.1079/BJN20041097

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Effect of exercise performed immediately before a meal of moderate fat content on postprandial lipaemia

Anatoli Petridou¹, Nikos Gerkos¹, Myrsini Kolifa¹, Michalis G. Nikolaidis¹, Dimitris Simos¹ and Vassilis Mougios^1
1Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 , Thessaloniki, Greece

 (Received 26 September 2003–Revised 23 December 2003–Accepted 13 January 2004)

The majority of the studies that have found a lowering effect of exercise on postprandial lipaemia have employed exercise 12–18h before a test meal of exaggerated fat content (over 60% total energy). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this effect is manifest when exercise is performed immediately before a test meal of moderate fat content. Eleven healthy young men cycled for 45min at 62% maximal heart rate or rested, and, immediately afterwards, consumed a meal of moderate fat content (35% total energy, 0·65g/kg body mass) in a random counterbalanced design. Blood samples were drawn before exercise, before the meal, and for 8h postprandially. No significant differences were observed in plasma triacylglycerol concentrations and areas under the triacylglycerol concentration v. time curves between exercise and rest, although exercise reduced the postprandial lipaemic response by 17%. Non-esterified fatty acids, glucose, and insulin did not differ significantly between the trials. In conclusion, moderate exercise performed immediately before a meal of a fat content typical to the Western diet had only a modest effect on postprandial lipaemia.

Keywords:
Exercise, Fatty acids, Postprandial lipaemia, Triacylglycerols

Abbreviations:
AUC, area under the curve, HR_max, maximal heart rate, LPL, lipoprotein lipase, NEFA, non-esterified fatty acid, TG, triacylglycerol