Does Acute Exercise Affect the Susceptibility of Low Density Lipoprotein to Oxidation?

This study describes the effect of an acute exercise bout on the susceptibility of isolated low density lipoprotein (LDL) to in vitro oxidation. LDL was isolated from 23 subjects (exercisers, n = 11; sedentary, n = 12) immediately before and after a single bout of exercise (30 min of treadmill work at 55% & 70% peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) for exercisers and sedentary, respectively). A statistically significant decrease in lag time for LDL oxidation was observed following exercise compared to baseline (96.1 ± 23.5 min vs. 92.1 ± 23.3 minutes; n = 23, p ≤ .03) using a 5 μM copper system. There was a statistically significant increase in plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels following exercise compared to baseline values (1.58 ± .91 ng/dl versus 2.08 ± 1.2 ng/dl; n = 12, p ≤ .03). These results suggest that the 30 min exercise bout at a moderate intensity and duration was a sufficient oxidative stress to increase the susceptibility of LDL to in vitro oxidation. Additionally, the exercise bout appeared to activate neutrophils, subsequently releasing MPO protein.