title: Effects of exercise and estrogen therapy on lipid profiles of postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared the effects of aerobic exercise training on lipid and lipoprotein levels in 18 postmenopausal women who were (N = 8) or were not (N = 10) receiving estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Each group was tested for lipids, diet recall and VO2max before and after a 12 wk exercise program, consisting of 30-50 min of an aerobic activity at 75-85% of VO2max, 3-4 sessions per week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups increased VO2max by 8% and neither group changed their diet. The ERT group had higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) (P < 0.01) before training. There were no mean group changes in any of the lipid variables with training. However, individual changes in LDL-C and Total Cholesterol (TC) were strongly related to baseline weight in the nonestrogen group (r = 109.91, r = -0.82) but not in ERT (r = -0.30, r = -0.51). Subsequently, all subjects were redivided into two groups based on BMI (< or = 27 or > or = 27) regardless of ERT status. TC decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the < or = 27 BMI group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exercise training had little effect on the lipid profiles of the ERT and the nonestrogen groups, but body weight seems to be a modulating factor. Heavier subjects did not respond as favorably to 12 wk of exercise training as postmenopausal women with less body mass, regardless of the presence of exogenous estrogen.
authors.affiliation: Exercise Science Programs, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klebanoff
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernhall
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D015930:Diet Records; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol