Effect of dietary fat reduction and increased aerobic exercise on cardiovascular risk factors

1. The combined effect of dietary fat reduction and increased aerobic exercise on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors was investigated in healthy, normolipidaemic, normotensive, sedentary individuals. 2. After a baseline period of 2 weeks, 21 subjects were randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups (low fat exercise (LFEX) or low fat control (LFC) for 8 weeks. Both groups were counselled to reduce their dietary fat intake to 20-25% energy from fat. The LFEX group was also required to commence an aerobic exercise programme (4 x 45 min per week). 3. In both groups, the falls in total cholesterol seen at week 4 were not maintained at the end of the study; however, the LFEX group maintained a fall in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of 0.21 ± 0.11 mmol/L. At the end of the study, the LFC group experienced a fall in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol of 0.16 ± 0.05 mmol/L, due to a 0.19 ± 0.07 mmol/L fall in the HDL2 subfraction. The LFEX group experienced no change in HDL (- 0.09 ± 0.06 mmol/L) or HDL2 (- 0.09 ± 0.05 mmol/L). 4. At the end of the study the LFEX and LFC groups experienced a 7 ± 3 and 5 ± 1 mmHg fall in systolic blood pressure, respectively, while the LFEX group also observed a 4 ± 2 mmHg fall in diastolic blood pressure. 5. The benefits of a low-fat diet combined with aerobic exercise include a reduction in LDL and blood pressure, while maintaining HDL through the HDL2 subfraction.