Acute exercise-induced changes in basal VLDL-triglyceride kinetics leading to hypotriglyceridemia manifest more readily after resistance than endurance exercise

Abstract

Resistance training is considered less effective than endurance training in lowering plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations. Acutely, however, a single bout of strenuous exercise, whether endurance or resistance, increases the efficiency of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG removal from the circulation and leads to hypotriglyceridemia. The comparative effects of these two types of exercise on VLDL-TG metabolism are not known. We therefore examined basal VLDL-TG kinetics by using stable isotope-labeled tracers in seven healthy, nonobese, untrained young men in the postabsorptive state, the morning after a single 90-min bout of either low-intensity endurance exercise (∼30% of peak oxygen consumption) or high-intensity resistance exercise (3 sets of 10 repetitions for 12 exercises at 80% of peak torque production), matched for total energy expenditure (∼400 kcal), or an equivalent period of rest on the preceding afternoon. Compared with rest, resistance exercise lowered fasting plasma VLDL-TG concentration by −28 ± 10% ( P = 0.034), increased VLDL-TG plasma clearance rate by 30 ± 8% ( P = 0.003), and shortened the mean residence time (MRT) of VLDL-TG in the circulation by −36 ± 11 min ( P = 0.016), whereas endurance exercise had no effect (all P > 0.05). Basal VLDL-TG plasma clearance rate was greater ( P = 0.003) and VLDL-TG MRT was shorter ( P = 0.012) the morning after resistance than endurance exercise. We conclude that, for the same total energy expenditure, resistance exercise is more potent than endurance exercise in eliciting changes in VLDL-TG metabolism that have been linked with hypotriglyceridemia, and it should thus be considered as an alternative to or in addition to endurance exercise for the control of plasma TG concentrations.