Influence of acute maximal exercise on lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in healthy adults of differing aerobic performance

Summary To document the possible influence of a single episode of maximal aerobic stress on the serum lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity in subjects with differing histories of training, two groups of healthy male adults [controls (C),n = 18, 28.6 years, SD 5.2, 50.1 ml · kg^–1 · min^–1 maximal O₂ uptake (VO_2max), SD 5.3; endurance trained athletes (T),n = 18, 31.4 years, SD 8.8, 65.0 ml · kg^–1 · min^–1VO_2max, SD 2.8] were examined in a maximal aerobic stress test. In addition to the routine assessment of lipid status, LCAT activity was measured immediately before and after exercise. At rest nearly identical LCAT activity values were found in both groups: C 64.4 nmol · ml^–1 · h^–1, SD 16.7 vs T 65.0 nmol · ml^–1 · h^–1, SD 20.9. The post-exercise LCAT values induced by the maximal stress test increased significantly to (C) 95.7 nmol · ml^–1 · h^–1, SD 23.5, +48.6%,P<0.001; (T) 83.5 nmol · ml^–1 · h^–1, SD 24.3, +29.1%,P<0.01. Neither the pre nor the post-exercise individual LCAT activity values showed any significant correlation to the corresponding data on physical performance.