EFFECTS OF AEROBIC OR ANAEROBIC LEıSURE-TıME EXERCISE ON PLASMA TOTAL HOMOCYSTEINE, TOTAL- AND SUBGROUP HDL-CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN

Abstract

Regular exercise of aerobic nature is known to have beneficial effects on widely accepted risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the effects of leisure-time aerobic jogging and that of basically anaerobic soccer training on blood total homocysteine (Hcy) that is accepted as a new CV disease risk factor, is not yet known. This study was designed to determine the effects of two different training regimens on plasma levels of Hcy, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and its HDL2-C and HDL3-C subgroups in middle aged men. A total of 60 males aged 40-55 participated in the study. The three study groups consisted of aerobically training joggers (JG, n=20), leisure-time soccer players on a mixed aerobic/anaerobic training regimen (SG, n=20), and sedentary counterparts with similar physical characteristics, diet and life style, who served as controls (CG, n=20). Physical characteristics, resting heart rates (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP), indirect maximal oxygen consumption (maxVO2) were determined. Plasma total Hcy was determined with the fluorescence polarization immunoassay method, serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, its HDL 2-C and HDL3-C subgroups, and triglyceride (TG) levels were determined with standard enzymatic-colorimetric methods. No significant differences were obtained for the Hcy blood levels among the three groups, though it occurred to be higher in the SG and lower in the JG. Serum levels of HDL-C and subgroups in the JG were significantly higher than that of SG and CG. The beneficial effects of leisure time jogging exercise on Hcy, HDL-C and its subgroups, compared with soccer exercise, might be caused by the aerobic nature of jogging.