Effects on blood lipids and body weight in high risk men of a practical exercise program.

The effects of moderate exercise on serum total cholesterol (TC), high density (HDL-C), low density (LDL-C), and very low density (VLDL-C) lipoprotein cholesterol fractions, triglycerides (TG), body weight (BW) and skinfolds (SF) were studied during a 12-week period among 23 sedentary middle-aged men. The results show that regular exercise in men eating a fat-modified diet alters in a favorable direction body fat, weight and lipoprotein fractions. Weight loss with exercise significantly increased HDL-C (P = 0.01), although this increase in HDL-C occurred after a latency period of at least 6 weeks and an average weight loss of at least 4 lbs. The amount of exercise effective in risk factor reduction is within the capacity of most middle-aged men.