Exercise intensity, dietary intake, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in young female competitive swimmers.

Plasma high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) and dietary intake were compared in female competitive swimmers (CS, n = 7), synchronized swimmers (SS, n = 11), and sedentary controls (C, n = 6). CS tended to be taller, heavier, and leaner than C; SS were intermediate. The caloric intake of CS was 21.5% greater than C (2468 +/- 534 versus 2030 +/- 668, p less than 0.001). Dietary composition for all groups was 49% carbohydrate, 35% fat, and 15% protein. Total plasma cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C were not significantly different among groups. HDL-C, and HDL-C/TC were increased in CS compared with SS and C. HDL-C was 17 and 22% higher for CS than SS or C (82.0 +/- 14.6 versus 70.0 +/- 10.9 versus 67.2 +/- 14.0 mg/dl, p less than 0.05, respectively). The results of the current study indicate that plasma HDL-C is significantly elevated in young women who participate in an intensive, but not moderate, exercise regimen.