) was used to determine BMD (L2–L4 and femur) and to assess body composition. The gymnasts were significantly lower in weight (53.9 and 60.8 kg) and % body fat (22.6 and 30.6) compared with controls. After training, body weights of gymnasts remained the same but there was a significant increase in lean tissue mass of 2.9 kg (6.7%, P < 0.05). No changes in body composition were observed in the controls. The gymnasts had significantly higher mean lumbar (1.321 vs 1.225), and femoral neck (1.163 vs 1.079) BMD (g·cm−2) than the controls. Lumbar BMD increased significantly (1.3%) in gymnasts following training but femoral neck BMD did not increase. No BMD changes occurred in the control group. Regarding serum IGF-I, no differences were seen between the groups or across time. Serum osteocalcin values were significantly higher in the gymnasts than the controls, but no differences were found across time. In conclusion, gymnasts had significantly higher BMDs than controls, and a significant increase in lumbar BMD was seen in the gymnasts following 27 wk of training. ©1994The American College of Sports Medicine...

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the independent and combined effects of aerobic exercise and omega-3 fatty acid (n-3fa) supplementation on lipid and lipoproteins. Sedentary, normoglycemic, nonsmoking men ( n = 11) were assigned to perform rest and exercise before and during n-3fa supplementation. Exercise consisted of 3 consecutive days of treadmill walking at 65% maximum O₂consumption for 60 min. Supplementation consisted of 42 days of 4.55 g/day of n-3fa. A two-way factorial ANOVA with repeated measures revealed significant reductions in total cholesterol ( P = 0.001, −9.2%) and triglyceride ( P = 0.007, −32.4%) concentrations postexercise. In addition, exercise increased LDL peak particle size ( P = 0.001) from 26.2 to 26.4 nm, but not HDL size. The n-3fa supplementation resulted in a significant shift in the distribution of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) carried by HDL_2b+2a( P = 0.001, 14.2%) and HDL_3a+3b( P = 0.001, −22.8%), despite no significant changes in lipid and lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations. The majority of the shift in HDL-C was noted in HDL_2b( P = 0.001, 20.9%) and HDL_3a( P < 0.001, −31.0%) particles. There were no combined effects of exercise and n-3fa supplementation on lipids and lipoproteins. Three consecutive days of aerobic exercise reduced triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations with a concomitant increase in LDL peak particle size. In contrast, n-3fa supplementation shifted HDL-C from HDL₃particles to HDL₂particles, despite no significant changes in HDL₂-C and HDL₃-C concentrations. Exercise and n-3fa supplementation do not synergistically improve serum lipids and lipoproteins, but rather independently affect the metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins.

The purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy of a low-volume, moderate-intensity bout of resistance exercise (RE) on glucose, insulin, and C-peptide responses during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in untrained women compared with a bout of high-volume RE of the same intensity. Ten women (age 30.1 ± 9.0 years) were assessed for body composition, maximal oxygen uptake, and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) before completing 3 treatments administered in random order: 1 set of 10 REs (RE1), 3 sets of 10 REs (RE3), and no exercise (C). Twenty-four hours after completing each treatment, an OGTT was performed after an overnight fast. Glucose area under the curve response to an OGTT was reduced after both RE1 (900 ± 113 mmol·L(-1)·min(-1), p = 0.056) and RE3 (827.9 ± 116.3, p = 0.01) compared with C (960.8 ± 152.7 mmol·L(-1)·min(-1)). Additionally, fasting glucose was significantly reduced after RE3 (4.48 ± 0.45 vs. 4.90 ± 0.44 mmol·L(-1), p = 0.01). Insulin sensitivity (IS), as determined from the Cederholm IS index, was improved after RE1 (10.8%) and after RE3 (26.1%). The reductions in insulin and C-peptide areas after RE1 and RE3 were not significantly different from those in the C treatment. In conclusion, greater benefits in glucose regulation appear to occur after higher volumes of RE. However, observed reductions in glucose, insulin, C-peptide areas after RE1 suggest that individuals who may not well tolerate high-volume RE protocols may still benefit from low-volume RE at moderate intensity (65% 1RM).