Interaction between diet, exercise and lipids or lipoproteins

Physical activity prevents age-related impairment in nitric oxide availability in elderly athletes

BACKGROUND

Aging is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and endothelial dysfunction. Since exercise can improve endothelium-dependent vasodilation, in the present study we tested whether long-term physical activity could prevent aging-related endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 12 young and elderly (age 26.9+/-2.3 and 62.9+/-5.8 years, respectively) healthy sedentary subjects and 11 young and 14 elderly matched athletes (age 27.5+/-1.9 and 66.4+/-6.1 years, respectively), we studied (with strain-gauge plethysmography) forearm blood flow modifications induced by intrabrachial acetylcholine (0.15, 0.45, 1.5, 4.5, and 15 microg/100 mL per minute), an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, at baseline, during infusion of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) (100 microg/100 mL forearm tissue per minute), a nitric oxide-synthase inhibitor, vitamin C (8 mg/100 mL forearm tissue per minute), an antioxidant, and finally under simultaneous infusion of L-NMMA and vitamin C. The response to sodium nitroprusside (1, 2, and 4 microg/100 mL forearm tissue per minute) was also evaluated. In young athletes and sedentary subgroups, vasodilation to acetylcholine was inhibited by L-NMMA and was not changed by vitamin C. In elderly subjects, vasodilation to acetylcholine was blunted as compared with young subjects in both control subjects and athletes, whereas the response to sodium nitroprusside was similar. Moreover, in elderly athletes, vitamin C did not change the vasodilation to acetylcholine. In contrast, in elderly sedentary subjects, the response to acetylcholine was resistant to L-NMMA. In this subgroup, vitamin C increased the vasodilation to acetylcholine and restored the inhibiting effect of L-NMMA.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that regular physical activity can at least in part prevent the age-induced endothelial dysfunction, probably the restoration of nitric oxide availability consequent to prevention of production of oxidative stress.

Effects of high fat versus high carbohydrate diets on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in endurance athletes

PURPOSE AND METHODS

Recent research suggesting the performance benefits of high fat diets for endurance athletes have been viewed with caution because of the potential negative health consequences, including increased coronary heart disease risk. This study examined the effects of a high fat (HF: 50% of total energy from fat, 37% carbohydrate) versus a high carbohydrate (HC: 15% of total energy from fat, 69% carbohydrate) diet on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 32 endurance trained cyclists over a 3-month period. Plasma total, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, and hematocrit (Hct) were measured at baseline and after weeks 4, 8, and 12.

RESULTS

Changes in lipids and lipoproteins from baseline to week 12 did not differ between the two groups except for triglycerides, which increased significantly from 1.04 +/- 0.17 mmol.L-1 to 1.28 +/- 0.31 mmol.L-1 in HC (P = 0.012). The only significant changes that occurred within each group from baseline to week 12 was the significant increase in total cholesterol and triglycerides in HC. Body composition changes did not differ between the two groups from baseline to week 12 as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry.

CONCLUSIONS

During periods of endurance training when energy requirements are high, increasing the percentage of fat in the diet to approximately 50% of total energy did not result in adverse changes to the plasma lipoprotein profiles of this group of athletes.