Effects of coarse wheat bran fiber and exercise on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in moderately overweight men

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of the American Association of Cereal Chemists coarse wheat bran fiber and exercise were evaluated in 20 males, aged 24 to 24 yr, and at least 10% above ideal weight. Thirteen of the subjects participated in a 4 mile walk-jog-run program 3 times weekly. In a cross-over design with diets switched midway through the experiment, both the exercising and sedentary groups consumed isocaloric amounts of either white bread or white bread containing wheat bran (0.5 g/kg body weight). Plasma total and lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, body weights, and percentage body fats were determined at 0, 6, and 12 wk. No consistent effects were observed as a result of the wheat bran feeding on any of the parameters measured. Exercise training tended to decrease body weights and percentage body fats, and was associated with significantly increased (p > 0.05) plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios. After a rise in triglycerides at wk 6, a significant decline (p > 0.05) back to base-line values was observed at wk 12 for the exercised subjects.