Acute effects of accumulating exercise on postprandial lipemia and C-reactive protein concentrations in young men

The current study investigated the acute effects of accumulating short bouts of running on circulating concentrations of postprandial triacylglycerol (TAG) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Ten men, age 21-32 yr, completed two 1-d trials. On 1 occasion participants ran at 70% of maximum oxygen uptake in six 5-min bouts (i.e., 8:30, 10, and 11:30 a.m. and 1, 2:30, and 4 p.m.) with 85 min rest between runs. On another occasion participants rested throughout the day. In both trials, participants consumed test meals at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. In each trial, venous blood samples were collected at 8:30, 10, and 11:30 a.m. and 1, 2:30, 4, and 5:30 p.m. for plasma TAG measurement and at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. for serum CRP measurement. Total area under the curve for plasma TAG concentration versus time was 10% lower on the exercise trial than the control trial (M ± SEM: 13.5 ± 1.8 vs. 15.0 ± 1.9 mmol · 9 hr^-1 · L^-1; p = .004). Serum CRP concentrations did not differ between trials or over time. This study demonstrates that accumulating short bouts of running reduces postprandial plasma TAG concentrations (a marker for cardiovascular disease risk) but does not alter serum CRP concentrations.