title: Effects of resistance versus aerobic training on coronary artery disease risk factors.
abstract: Individuals exhibiting "the metabolic syndrome" have multiple coronary artery disease risk factors, including insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and android obesity. We performed a randomized trial to compare the effects of aerobic and resistance training regimens on coronary risk factors. Twenty-six volunteers who exhibited android obesity and at least one other risk factor for coronary artery disease were randomized to aerobic or resistance training groups. Body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, glucose, insulin, body composition, 24-hr urinary albumin, fibrinogen, blood pressure, and lipid profile were measured at baseline and after 10 weeks of exercise training. Both groups showed a significant reduction in waist-to-hip ratio and the resistance training group also showed a reduction in total body fat. There was no significant change in mean arterial blood pressure in either group. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were unchanged in both groups. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased (13%) with aerobic training only. Plasma fibrinogen was increased (28% and 34%, P < 0.02) in both groups and both groups showed a significant decrease (34% and 28%, P < 0.03) in microalbuminuria after their respective training regimen. In conclusion, resistance training was effective in improving body composition of middle-aged obese sedentary males. Only aerobic training was effective in raising HDL cholesterol. More studies are warranted to assess the effects of exercise on plasma fibrinogen and microalbuminuria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinoios 62901-4317, USA. banz@siu.edu
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Banz
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: Warren G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bassett
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Keefer
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zemel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014891:Weight Lifting