High-density lipoprotein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism during increasing fitness.

Eleven unfit bank executives in sedentary employment exercised daily for 10 weeks according to the Canadian Air-Force 5BX Exercise Programme. Over this period no changes were observed in the glucose or insulin responses to a standard breakfast or to intravenous glucose, or in the glucose response to intravenous insulin. There was a significant reduction in high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, but total plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels were unaffected by exercise.