Aerobic exercise-induced changes in body composition and blood lipids in young women.
The objective of the study was to assess changes in body composition, blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in 18-24-year-old women during the period of two-month aerobic cycling training.


METHODS
Young, healthy, nonsmoking women (n=19) volunteered to participate in this study. They were divided in two groups: experimental (E, n=10) and control (C, n=9). The subjects of group E exercised 3 times a week with intensity of the first ventilatory threshold and duration of 60 min. The group C did not exercise regularly over a two-month period of the experiment. The subjects of group E were tested before and after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of the experiment. The participants of group C were tested twice with an eight-week interval.


RESULTS
Body weight, body mass index, body fat mass, and triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-ch) concentration increased after the 8-week training program in the experimental group (P<0.05). Blood total cholesterol (Tch) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-ch) concentrations did not change significantly. Body weight and body mass index started to decrease after 2 weeks of the experiment, but significant changes were observed only after 6 and 8 weeks. Body fat mass was significantly decreased after 2 and 8 weeks of aerobic training. A significant increase in HDL-ch concentration was observed after 4, 6, and 8 weeks. A significant decrease in TAG concentration was observed after 2-week training. No significant changes in all the parameters except TAG (it was slightly increased) were seen in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The two-month aerobic cycling training (within VT1, 60-min duration, three times a week) may induce significant changes in the parameters of body composition--body weight, body mass index, body fat mass, and blood lipids--in young women. The following significant changes were observed: TAG level decreased after 2 weeks, body mass and body mass index decreased after 6 weeks, body fat mass decreased and HDL-ch level increased after 8 weeks. Peak oxygen uptake increased after 4 weeks.
Stasiulis
Arvydas
A
Sports Center, Vytautas Magnus University, Draugystes 19, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Mockiene
Asta
A
Vizbaraite
Daiva
D
Mockus
Pranas
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013997:Time Factors
D008055:Lipids