Postprandial triglyceride responses to aerobic exercise and extended-release niacin

Background: Aerobic exercise and niacin are frequently used strategies for reducing serum triglycerides, and, yet there is no information regarding the combined effects of these strategies on postprandial triglycerides. Objective: We compared the effects of aerobic exercise and 6 wk of extended-release niacin on postprandial triglycerides in men with the metabolic syndrome. Design: Fifteen participants underwent each of 4 conditions: control—high-fat meal only (100 g fat); exercise—aerobic exercise performed 1 h before a high-fat meal; niacin—high-fat meal consumed after 6 wk of niacin; and niacin + exercise—high-fat meal consumed after 6 wk of niacin and 1 h after aerobic exercise. Temporal responses for triglyceride and insulin concentrations were measured and total (AUCT) and incremental (AUCI) areas under the curve were calculated. Differences were determined by using a 2-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance (P 0.05 for all). Results: Exercise lowered the triglyceride AUCI by 32% compared with control (724 118 and 1058 137, respectively). Niacin had no influence on the triglyceride AUCI and attenuated the triglyceride-lowering effect of exercise when combined. Niacin + exercise had no effect on the triglyceride AUCI but decreased the insulin AUCI after niacin administration. Conclusions: Aerobic exercise lowers the postprandial triglyceride response to a high-fat meal. Niacin lowers fasting but not postprandial triglycerides and appears to influence the triglyceride-lowering effect of aerobic exercise when combined. However, exercise decreases postprandial insulin concentrations after niacin administration, which illustrates the potential metabolic benefits of exercise in persons taking niacin. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Movimiento Humano (CIMOHU) UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Educación::Escuela de Educación Física