Background Official guidelines from the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention assert that the majority of health benefitsfrom physical activity are obtained by walking 2 miles (3.2km) briskly most days of the week (the energy equivalent ofrunning 8 to 12 km per week). The objective of our study wasto examine the dose–response relation in women betweenrisk factors for coronary heart disease, particularly the concentrationof high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and vigorousexercise at levels that exceed the official guidelines.
Methods The number of kilometers run per week reported by 1837female recreational runners in a national cross-sectional surveywas compared with medical data provided by the women's physicians.
Results In these cross-sectional data, plasma HDL cholesterolconcentrations were higher by an average (±SE) of 0.133±0.020mg per deciliter (0.003±0.0005 mmol per liter) for everyadditional kilometer run per week, an amount nearly identicalwith that previously reported for men (0.136±0.006 mgper deciliter [0.004±0.0002 mmol per liter] per kilometerper week). Among women who ran less than 48 km per week, meanplasma HDL concentrations were significantly higher with each16-km increment in distance. Women who ran more than 64 km perweek had significantly higher mean concentrations of HDL cholesterolthan did women who ran less than 48 km per week. They were alsosignificantly more likely to have HDL cholesterol concentrationsgreater than 100, 90, or 80 mg per deciliter (2.6, 2.3, or 2.1mmol per liter) than were women running less than 64 km perweek. HDL cholesterol concentrations increased significantlyin relation to the number of kilometers run per week in premenopausalwomen who were not using oral contraceptives and in postmenopausalwomen, whether they were receiving estrogen-replacement therapyor not.
Conclusions Substantial increases in HDL cholesterol concentrationswere found in women who exercised at levels exceeding currentguidelines; higher HDL cholesterol concentrations could provideadded health benefits to these women.
Source Information
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