Resistance exercise training reduces hypertriglyceridemia in HIV-infected men treated with antiviral therapy

1 Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, 2 Division of Infectious Diseases, and 3 Department of Radiological Sciences, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 Hypertriglyceridemia, peripheral insulin resistance, and trunk adiposity are metabolic complications recently recognized in people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). These complications may respond favorably to exercise training. Using a paired design, we determined whether 16 wk of weight-lifting exercise increased muscle mass and strength and decreased fasting serum triglycerides and adipose tissue mass in 18 HIV-infected men. The resistance exercise regimen consisted of three upper and four lower body exercises done for 1-1.5 h/day, 4 days/wk for 64 sessions. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry indicated that exercise training increased whole body lean mass 1.4 kg ( P = 0.005) but did not reduce adipose tissue mass ( P = NS). Axial proton-magnetic resonance imaging indicated that thigh muscle cross-sectional area increased 5-7 cm 2 ( P