RACE SIMILARITIES IN THE MULTIVARIATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EXERCISE-INDUCED CHANGES IN BLOOD LIPIDS AND BODY FATNESS

Racial differences in blood lipids and lipid parameters have been documented. The role of aerobic exercise training and depot-specific fat loss on consequent changes in blood lipids is not well understood. PURPOSE To explore the role of reductions in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and total fat mass (FM) in blood lipid changes following aerobic exercise training. METHODS The sample included 643 participants (440 White and 203 Black) from the HERITAGE Family Study. Total FM was determined by densitometry, whereas VAT and SAT cross-sectional areas were determined by computed tomography scans at the L4-L5 level. Blood lipids measurements included total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides (TG), and the TC/HDL ratio and were obtained before and after a 20-week supervised aerobic exercise program. Canonical correlation was used to quantify the multivariate association between changes in body fatness and changes in blood lipids. RESULTS The first canonical correlation was 0.46 in Black men, 0.35 in White men, 0.46 in Black women, and 0.30 in White women (all p < 0.05). The pattern of loadings indicated similar relationships between changes in fatness and changes in blood lipids among the four sex and race groups. Fat loss, characterized by loss of FM, VAT and SAT was associated with a lipid response characterized by an increase in HDL-C, and decreases in LDL-C, TG, TC, and TC/HDL. CONCLUSION The association between fat loss and changes in blood lipids consequent to aerobic exercise training appears to be similar among Black and White men and women.