Influence of activity level on vitamin E status in healthy men and women and cardiac patients.
BACKGROUND
Plasma Vitamin E status may indicate protection against cholesterol oxidation. The purpose of this study was to determine if the plasma vitamin E status is influenced by exercise training status or a single session of submaximal exercise.


METHODS
The 41 participants were categorized as sedentary, recreational endurance trained, competitive endurance trained, or cardiac rehabilitation patients. Subjects completed a 3-day dietary record. After a 24-hour diet and exercise control period, including a 12-hour fast, venous blood was collected. Plasma was analyzed for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total lipid, vitamin E, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) vitamin E concentrations. Each subject then exercised on a treadmill at 60% of measured maximal oxygen consumption for 30 minutes. Postexercise samples were collected 5 minutes after the activity.


RESULTS
Multivariate analysis of variance and follow-up Tukey post hoc tests indicated that the cardiac rehabilitation group had lower total fat and monounsaturated fat intake in the diet than the other groups, and the competitive-endurance trained group had higher HDL-C levels. Plasma vitamin E was higher in the cardiac rehabilitation group, but the statistical differences disappeared when expressed per unit of plasma total lipid. The vitamin E content of LDL was not different among the groups. A single exercise session did not alter the plasma lipoprotein or vitamin E status.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that habitual activity level of healthy individuals or a single session of exercise does not influence the plasma vitamin E or LDL vitamin E concentrations. However, patients in an endurance cardiac rehabilitation program tend to show normal to elevated plasma vitamin E status.
Thomas
T R
TR
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Missouri-Columbia 65211, USA.
Ziogas
G
G
Yan
P
P
Schmitz
D
D
LaFontaine
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D014810:Vitamin E