Changes in blood glucose, lipid profile and antioxidant activities in trained and untrained adult male subjects during programmed exercise on the treadmill.

Background: Exercise is a physical activity that maintains physical fitness and optimum health of an individual.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine changes in redox-oxidative status, lipid profile, cortisol, testosterone and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in trained and untrained male subjects during a programmed exercise session.

Methods: Twenty (20) trained and twenty (20) untrained young healthy male subjects (age 21.75 +/- 1.15 years, height 1.74 +/- 0.02 m and weight 65.25 +/- 1.46 kg) participated in the study. Their weights, heights, waist and hip circumferences were measured. Subjects who have fasted for 12 hours exercised on the treadmill for 20 minutes at 1.5 km/hr after a warm-up period of exercising at 0.5 km/hr. for 3 minutes. Blood samples (1.5 ml) were withdrawn from the cubital vein before and immediately after the exercise session. Blood samples were analyzed for FBG, lipid profile, testosterone, cortisol and oxidative enzymes activities. Blood pressure and pulse rate were also measured before and after the exercise.

Results: There was a significant decrease in rate of glucose disappearance in the trained subjects compared with the untrained subjects. The low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), TC, TC:HDL and LDL:HDL ratios were significantly higher in the untrained subjects both before and after the exercise while the trained subjects recorded significantly low cholesterol level. Testosterone and cortisol were significantly higher in untrained subjects before the exercise while its level balanced up with that of the trained subjects after the exercise. There was a significant increase in pulse pressure and diastolic pressure in untrained subjects after the exercise compared with trained subjects. Results of antioxidant assay showed that basal GPx and catalase were significantly higher in the trained subjects while GSH and SOD significantly increased in untrained subjects after the programmed exercise. Trained subjects expressed efficient energy utilization with better preparedness to handle oxidative stress better than untrained subjects.

Conclusion: Exercise improves body lipid profile, cardiovascular system and antioxidant status, thus providing better accommodative adjustment to changes without any significant change to blood pressure parameters during exposure to exercise training.