Aerobic training and lipid profile of hypothyroid rats

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 17 weeks of swimming exercise on the lipid profile of hypothyroid rats. Method24 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: controls submitted to aerobic training (CT); hypothyroid submitted to aerobic training (HT); sedentary controls (SC) and sedentary hypothyroid (SH). HT and SH were induced to hypothyroidism by administering 1 mg of propylthiouracil, while CT and SC animals received distilled water. The animals had unrestricted access to ration and water. Swimming took place five times per week, 60 minutes per session, with overload corresponding to 3% of body weight. At the end of the experiment total cholesterol (C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C), triglycerides and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were measured. ResultsThe main finding of the study was the lower values (p<0.05) obtained for two variables in the HT group (C=74.6±8.7mg/dl and LDL=43.7±6.5mg/dl) compared to the SH group (C=91.3±6.8mg/dl and LDL-C=55.6±2.0mg/dl). ConclusionIt was concluded that swimming exercises can minimize the increase in C and LDL-C blood levels in hypothyroid rats.