Acute effects of marathon running on levels of serum lipoproteins and androgenic hormones in healthy males

The acute effects of marathon (42.2 km) running on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels, particularly high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions HDL 2 and HDL 3, and on levels of serum androgenic hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were studied in 20 healthy non-champion-class joggers participating in the First North Karelian Heart Marathon. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels were unchanged after the marathon, whereas the lipoprotein distribution of both lipids was significantly altered. Very-low-density lipoprotein triglyceride (VLDL-TG) and cholesterol (VLDL-C) levels decreased significantly, whereas low-density lipoprotein triglyceride (LDL-TG) but not cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were increased, suggesting an accumulation of VLDL remnants in the LDL density range. HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) level rose significantly owing to an increase in HDL 2-C. HDL 3-C level remained the same. Serum levels of apolipoproteins A-I and A-II, the main apolipoprotein constituents of HDL, did not change during the marathon but their distribution between the HDL subfractions differed, indicating a conversion of HDL 3 to HDL 2. Serum levels of LH, testosterone, and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) all decreased during the marathon. The changes in levels of serum lipoproteins and androgenic hormones were not interrelated. We concluded that the short-term regulation of HDL levels during acute exhaustive exercise is controlled not by changes in serum androgenic hormones but by enhanced degradation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.