Exercise training decreases plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein.

To assess the effect of exercise on the plasma concentration of cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and its possible influence in mediating the exercise-associated redistribution of cholesterol among plasma lipoproteins, we measured plasma CETP in 57 healthy normolipidemic men and women before and after 9 to 12 months of exercise training. The training protocol resulted in significant changes in VO2max (mean +/- SD, +5.3 +/- 3.5 mL.kg-1 x min-1), body weight (-2.5 +/- 3.5 kg), plasma triglycerides (-25.7 +/- 36.3 mg/dL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (+2.6 +/- 6.2 mg/dL), and ratios of total cholesterol to HDL-C (-0.30 +/- 0.52) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to HDL-C (-0.18 +/- 0.45) (all P < or = .05) but no change in lipoprotein(a). CETP concentration (in milligrams per liter) fell significantly in response to training in both men (n = 28, 2.47 +/- 0.66 to 2.12 +/- 0.43; % delta = 14.2%; P < .005) and women (n = 29, 2.72 +/- 1.01 to 2.36 +/- 0.76; % delta = 13.2%; P < .047). The CETP change was observed both in subjects who lost weight (n = 28, delta mean weight = -5.0 kg; delta CETP = -0.42 +/- 0.79; % delta = 15.4%; P < .009) and in those who were weight stable (n = 29, delta mean weight = -0.12 kg; delta CETP = -0.29 +/- 0.78; % delta = 10.4%; P < .055).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)