Effect of acute exercise on postprandial endothelial function in postmenopausal women: a randomized cross-over study

Effect of a late afternoon/early evening bout of aerobic exercise on postprandial lipid and lipoprotein particle responses to a high-sugar meal breakfast the following day in postmenopausal women: a randomized cross-over study

High-sugar consumption is related to dyslipidemia. How acute exercise affects postprandial lipid and lipoprotein particle responses to a high-sugar meal (HSM) in postmenopausal women is unclear. We examined the effects of a late afternoon/early evening bout of aerobic exercise on postprandial lipid and lipoprotein particle responses to a HSM breakfast the following day in 22 postmenopausal women. Subjects underwent exercise (EX) and no exercise (NE) conditions in the evening 13-16 h before the HSM breakfast consumption, in a random order. During the EX condition, subjects performed supervised aerobic exercise for 60 min at 75% of age-predicted maximum heart rate. The HSM (75.6% carbohydrate and 33% energy needs) was consumed after a 12-h fast. Serum lipids and lipoproteins were assessed at baseline and postprandially (60, 120, 180 min). Repeated measures analysis showed significantly lower area under the curve (geometric means [95% CI]) for triglycerides (TG) (2.96[2.43, 3.61] vs. 3.24[2.70, 3.88] mmol/L*hr; p = 0.049) and very low density lipoprotein particles (VLDLP) (114.6[88.2, 148.9] vs. 134.3[108.1, 166.9] nmol/L*hr; p = 0.02) during the EX versus NE condition. There were no condition effects for other variables. In conclusion, the EX versus NE condition lowered postprandial AUC for TG and VLDLP following HSM consumption in postmenopausal women.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02919488.

Impact of Lifestyles (Diet and Exercise) on Vascular Health: Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Function

Healthy lifestyle and diet are associated with significant reduction in risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress and the imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidants are linked to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Changes in antioxidant capacity of the body may lead to oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction. Diet is an important source of antioxidants, while exercise offers many health benefits as well. Recent findings have evidenced that diet and physical factors are correlated to oxidative stress. Diet and physical factors have debatable roles in modulating oxidative stress and effects on the endothelium. Since endothelium and oxidative stress play critical roles in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, dietary and physical factors could have significant implications on prevention of the diseases. This review is aimed at summarizing the current knowledge on the impact of diet manipulation and physical factors on endothelium and oxidative stress, focusing on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. We discuss the friend-and-foe role of dietary modification (including different diet styles, calorie restriction, and nutrient supplementation) on endothelium and oxidative stress, as well as the potential benefits and concerns of physical activity and exercise on endothelium and oxidative stress. A fine balance between oxidative stress and antioxidants is important for normal functions in the cells and interfering with this balance may lead to unfavorable effects. Further studies are needed to identify the best diet composition and exercise intensity.