Changes in body composition and use of blood cholesterol lowering drugs predict changes in blood lipids during 12 weeks of resistance exercise training in old adults.

Purpose: Aging is associated with an impairment of blood lipids. The present study investigated the response of blood lipids to resistance exercise in old adults. The particular aim was to investigate whether the response of blood lipids is associated with changes in body composition of blood lipid medication.

Methods: Subjects (N = 236, 73.7 ± 5.7 years, 58.2 % female) participated in a 12-week resistance exercise program (3 times/week; 3 sets, 6-8 repetitions at 75-80 % of the 1-repetition maximum), designed to increase strength and muscle mass of major muscle groups. Body composition, drug use, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were assessed at baseline and endpoint.

Results: The concentrations of HDL (-6 mg/dl), LDL (-18 mg/dl), TC (-26 mg/dl) and TG (-12 mg/g) decreased significantly during the study period. A reduction in fat mass by 1 kg predicted a reduction in TG (5.0 mg/dl, P = 0.017) and a gain in lean body mass by 1 kg predicted also a reduction in TG (-4.5 mg/dl, P = 0.023). The use of blood cholesterol lowering drugs predicted greater reductions in TC (-16.9 mg/dl, P = 0.032) and LDL (-11.8 mg/dl, P = 0.038) during training.

Conclusions: TG, TC, LDL and HDL decreased significantly after 12 weeks of progressive resistance exercise in old adults. Changes in body composition, i.e., reduction in fat mass and gain in lean body mass improved the blood lipid profile. Use of blood lipid lowering drugs was associated with greater reductions in TC and LDL after the training.