The impact of a short course of three lipid lowering drugs on fat oxidation during exercise in healthy volunteers.
We examined the impact of three lipid lowering drugs on fat oxidation during a 120 minute treadmill walk, at an exercise intensity of 50% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Subjects (N = 24) were healthy male volunteers with normal serum chemistry, assigned to three groups (n = 8). Group A received simvastatin 20 mg twice daily, Group B received gemfibrozil 600 mg twice daily, Group C received acipimox 600 mg twice daily. Each subject performed two 120 minute walks, once with drug, and once with placebo (4 days treatment plus a final dose on the morning of the exercise trial). Treatment order was reversed for half of each group. Compared to placebo, simvastatin treatment, had no impact on fat oxidation (40.9 +/- 8.6% vs 40.9 +/- 9.7%), or on plasma concentration of free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol or glucose. Treatment with gemfibrozil, showed lower fat oxidation (32.3 +/- 13.9% vs 39.7 +/- 7.9%), and lower plasma concentrations of FFA and glycerol, but differences did not reach significance at the 0.05 level. Acipimox treatment, produced significantly lower fat oxidation (36.9 +/- 12.8% vs 50.2 +/- 16.1%, P = 0.011), and lower plasma concentrations of FFA and glycerol (P = < 0.0001 and P = < 0.0001, respectively). Plasma glucose showed a trend toward lower values with acipimox (P = 0.088). These data demonstrate that selective lipid lowering drugs can reduce fat availability for exercise metabolism, placing increased demands on carbohydrates which may reduce exercise tolerance.
Head
A
A
Department of Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK.
Jakeman
P M
PM
Kendall
M J
MJ
Cramb
R
R
Maxwell
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000378:metabolism*; D015248:Gemfibrozil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000494:pharmacology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D019821:Simvastatin; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D011719:Pyrazines; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; C027696:acipimox; D015248:Gemfibrozil