Effects of prior moderate exercise on exogenous and endogenous lipid metabolism and plasma factor VII activity

Moderate exercise reduces postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations, which are a risk marker for coronary heart disease. The present study sought to determine the qualitative nature of exercise-induced changes in lipid metabolism and their association (if any) with changes in factor VII activation. Eleven normotriglyceridaemic men, aged 51.7±6.1 years (mean±S.D.), participated in two oral fat tolerance tests after different pre-conditions: control (no exercise), and exercise (90 min of brisk walking the day before). Venous blood samples were obtained in the fasted state and for 8 h after ingestion of a high-fat meal (1.32 g of fat, 1.36 g of carbohydrate, 0.30 g of protein and 10 mg of [1,1,1-¹³C] tripalmitin·kg^-1 body mass). Prior exercise reduced postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations by 25±3% (mean±S.E.M.), with lower concentrations in the Svedberg flotation rate (Sf) 20–400 (very-low-density lipoprotein) fraction accounting for 79±10% of this reduction. There was no effect on plasma factor VII coagulant activity or on the concentration of the active form of factor VIIa. Prior exercise increased postprandial serum 3-hydroxybutyrate and plasma fatty acid concentrations, decreased serum postprandial insulin concentrations and increased exogenous (8 h ¹³C breath excretion of 15.1±0.9% of ingested dose compared with 11.9±0.8%; P = 0.00001) and endogenous postprandial fat oxidation. These data raise the possibility that reduced hepatic secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein plays a role in the attenuation of plasma triacylglycerol concentrations seen after exercise, although it is possible that increased triacylglycerol clearance also contributes to this effect.