COMMON GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS AND CHOLESTEROL RESPONSE TO EXERCISE TRAINING

Abstract

Common genetic polymorphisms may affect exercise training induced improvements in plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. PURPOSE Major risk factors for cardiovascular disease include elevated TC and LDL-C. Exercise training is known to affect these risk factors to varying degrees among individuals. The purpose of this study is to identify genetic factors that affect the exercise training response. METHODS Subjects were 90 nonsmoking sedentary males and post-menopausal females aged 50–75 years. Subjects underwent 6 months of supervised aerobic exercise training after a six-week dietary stabilization period. Changes in LDL-C and TC were statistically analyzed using a modified backward elimination multiple regression technique. Genes investigated included those coding for apolipoprotein E (Apo E), lipoprotein lipase Pvu II (LPL-Pvu II), lipoprotein lipase Hind III (LPL-Hind III), cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), hepatic lipase (HL), endothelial lipase (LIPG), fatty acid binding protein-2 (FABP-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Genotypes were determined using standard techniques. RESULTS No single gene or gene-gene interactions were found to significantly contribute to changes in TC with exercise training. A single gene (LPL-Pvu II) along with gene-gene interactions (LPL-Pvu II*CETP and CETP*FABP-2) were found to explain 4.9%, 9.8%, and 7.4% of the variance in LDL-C response to exercise training respectively. CONCLUSION Genetic variation partially explains the variation in LDL-C response to exercise training. Further investigation including additional subjects and analysis of other genetic polymorphisms may further explain this variance.