Lipoprotein profile, diet and body composition in athletes practicing mixed an anaerobic activities.

Objective: To compare lipoprotein profile, body composition and diet in a sample of athletes practicing mixed and anaerobic sports activities, and in a group of sedentary controls.

Experimental Design: Cross selectional study.

Participants: Twenty professional soccer players (mixed trained), twenty body builders (anaerobic trained) and twenty sedentary subjects, all males and matched for age were studied.

Results: No significant differences in total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, apolipoprotein A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, and E levels were found when the three groups were compared. Bioelectrical impendance analysis disclosed significantly lower body fat percentages in both groups of athletes, and increased fat free mass only in body builders. Daily calorie intake was higher, and alcohol intake was lower in the athletes, compared with controls. Body builders had lower carbohydrate, and higher protein and cholesterol intakes, while soccer players had a lower polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio. None of the apolipoproteins examined was correlated with any body composition of diet parameters. No correlations between lipid parameters and anthropometric or dietary variables were found by multivariate analysis when the subjects were considered as a whole.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that in healthy lean normolipemic males, the lipoprotein profile is not modified by mixed or anaerobic sport activities and the respective modifications in body composition and diet.