LIPID PROFILES AND CARDIOVASULAR FITNESS DURING AND AFTER RESISTANCE, AEROBIC AND COMBINATION TRAINING IN WOMEN

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of various training models on the time-course of changes in lipoprotein-lipid profiles and cardiovascular fitness after 16 weeks of training and 6 weeks of detraining in young women. A group of 48 sedentary but healthy women [mean age 20.4 yrs.] were matched and randomly placed into a control group (CG, n = 12), an aerobic training group (ATG, n = 12), a resistance training group (RTG, n = 12) and a cross-training group (XTG, n = 12). The ATG, RTG, and XTG trained for 16 weeks and were monitored for changes in blood concentrations of lipoprotein-lipid, cardiovascular fitness and dietary composition throughout a 16 week period of training and 6 weeks of detraining. The ATG significantly reduced blood concentrations of triglycerides (TRI) (P < 0.05) and significantly increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) after 16 weeks of training. The correlation between HDL-C and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was 0.48 (P < 0.05), which explained 23% of the variation in HDL-C. The ATG increased VO2max by 25% (P < 0.001) after 16 weeks. Each of the alterations in the ATG had disappeared after the 6 weeks of detraining. The concentration of total cholesterol (TC), TRI, HDL-C and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol in the blood did not change during the study in RTG, XTG, and CG. The RTG increased upper and lower body strength by 29% (P < 0.001) and 38% respectively. The RTG, XTG and CG did not demonstrate and significant changes in VO2max during the training and detraining periods. The results of this study suggest that aerobic type exercise improves lipoprotein-lipid profiles and cardiorespiratory fitness in young women.