Short Bouts of Exercise Reduce Fat in The Bloodstream After Meals

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Short Bouts of Exercise Reduce Fat in The Bloodstream After Meals

14 May 2005 Medical News Today

Accumulated, short bouts of exercise are more effective than

continuous exercise for lowering fat and triglyceride levels in the

bloodstream after eating. This new research, presented in the August

issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official

scientific journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM),

supports intermittent exercise, multiple 10-minute bouts that

accumulate to at least 30 minutes a day on most, if not all, days of

the week, as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Single sessions of short and continuous bouts of exercise were

studied to determine their effect on postprandial lipemia, a

condition characterized by an excess of fat or lipids in the blood

following a meal. Due to high dietary fat intake and multiple daily

meals, most people have elevated triglyceride levels the majority of

the day. Studies have shown that prolonged elevation of triglyceride

levels increases fatty build-up in the blood vessels, which promote

heart disease.

" People who cannot exercise for long durations due to low fitness

levels or busy lifestyles don't have to sit still and wait for a

heart attack, " said S Altena, Ed.D., one of the study

authors. " If we can encourage people to be active and accumulate at

least 30 minutes of exercise in 10-minute bouts each day, it will

have a positive effect on health overall, and more specifically, on

the amount of fat in the bloodstream. "

Eighteen inactive adults with normal lipid profiles were studied to

compare post-meal triglyceride levels after performing a single

session of both continuous exercise and accumulated short bouts of

exercise. Participants consumed a high-fat meal of known fat

composition after jogging on a treadmill in continuous and

intermittent bouts. Blood samples were collected prior to activity

and every two hours during the activity period to measure lipid

profiles.

Results indicate that intermittent bouts of exercise reduced blood

triglyceride levels more effectively than continuous exercise or no

exercise at all. Researchers believe this is because each short

exercise bout may provide a slight increase in metabolism.

" If short exercise bouts are repeatedly performed throughout the day,

they accumulate; thus, the amount of calories burned after each

exercise session likely increases. Compared to a single session of

exercise equal in duration, intensity, and caloric expenditure, our

research indicates that regular repetition of short exercise bouts,

which add up during a day, have a unique and positive effect on

metabolism, " said Altena.

The research team from Southwest Missouri State University and the

University of Missouri emphasized these results are only applicable

to people not participating in regular exercise. It is unknown at

this time whether 30 minutes performed continuously or intermittently

is adequate to reduce fat in the bloodstream for those involved in a

regular exercise program.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports

medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than

20,000 international, national, and regional members are dedicated to

advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational

and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

NOTE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® is the official

journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available

from Lippincott & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423. For a complete

copy of the research paper (Vol. 37, No. 5, pages 832-837) or to

speak with a leading sports medicine expert on the topic, contact the

Department of Communications and Public Information at 317-637-9200

ext. 127 or 117. Visit ACSM online at http://www.acsm.org.