Exercise has a wide variety of benefits, from reducing stress levels to building muscle and supporting cardiovascular health, depending on the activity type you choose. Physical activity can even support lower cholesterol levels by bringing down your triglycerides, according to exercise physiologist Cris Slenz of Duke University Medical Center. Exercise works best as part of a comprehensive health plan.
Definition
Triglycerides are essential fats that your body uses for energy. Their levels increase when you dietary sugar and carbohydrate sources like fruit juices, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, white bread and white rice, according to WABC-TV news writer Diana Williams. Triglycerides also support cholesterol production, making them potentially dangerous because a high triglyceride level can raise your bad cholesterol level, eventually blocking your arteries with plaque and increasing heart attack risk. People with high triglycerides are at greater risk for metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
Research
High triglyceride levels are traditionally treated with medication, but exercise shows promise at bringing them down. A 2006 study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC and East Carolina University in Greenville, NC showed a drop in triglycerides and bad cholesterol levels in the majority of participants who exercised. The study was populated by middle-aged, overweight individuals with sedentary lifestyles and elevated cholesterol. All exercisers reaped some benefits, but those who did the equivalent of a 12-mile weekly walk had a 25 percent higher triglyceride reduction than study participants who did the equivalent of a 12-mile weekly jog.
Considerations
Although moderate exercise was a better triglyceride reducer than more strenuous workouts in the 2006 study, more strenuous activity has other benefits. Slenz, who was one of the researchers, advises that vigorous exercise is better for overall cardiovascular health than light activity.
Action Plan
Exercise should just be one part of an overall triglyceride-lowering plan. The Mayo Clinic advises scheduling half an hour of physical activity as many days a week as possible. Options include swimming, walking, jogging, group exercise classes or anything you enjoy that gives your body a workout. Cut back on refined flour and sugar, since both of these dietary items raise triglycerides, and stop eating trans fats and drinking alcohol. Lifestyle changes may get your triglycerides under control, but take an appropriate medication if your doctor recommends it. Over-the-counter omega-3 fatty acid supplements also help, according to the Mayo Clinic, but may interact with some other drugs.
References
- WABC-TV New York; Key to lower triglyceride: exercise; Diana Williams; September 2010
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Inactivity, Exercise Training and Detraining, and Plasma Lipoproteins; Cris Slentz; March 2007
- "U.S. News & World Report"; To Lower Triglycerides, a Moderate Workout is Best; Nancy Shute; August 2007
- MayoClinic.com; High cholesterol; June 2010
