Many are the times when we feel like eating something very tasty, but for various reasons we deprive ourselves of it, either to take care of our figure, our health, or simply because of the fear installed in some foods rich in fat.
The truth is that foods high in fat (especially saturated fat) can cause some harmful effects on the body, including increased triglycerides. Having stable triglyceride levels is essential, since in this way we considerably reduce the risk of heart attacks .
For this reason, it is convenient to know what role exercise can play in the regulation of triglycerides in our body and how we can keep them at normal levels.
What effects does training have on triglycerides?
In the study conducted at Kyoto Prefectural University (Japan), scientists evaluated triglyceride levels in 10 men and women after consuming a fatty meal (with approximately 38% fat).
On two separate days, these people exercised at a random time of day, either an hour before or an hour after eating. On the third day, they did not exercise after eating.
When they did not exercise, it was observed that their triglyceride levels rose from 66 mg / dl to 172 mg / dl (milligrams per deciliter) 2 hours after eating. We must know that when we are fasting, normal triglyceride levels are below 150 mg / dl.
When people exercised before dinner, their triglyceride levels rose to 148 mg / dl within two hours of eating (there was a 25% reduction compared to triglyceride levels with no exercise at all) .
When they exercised after eating , their triglyceride levels rose to 131 mg / dl (this time, a 72% reduction was seen compared with lack of exercise).
Six hours after consuming the high-fat meal, all participants’ triglyceride levels were about the same, regardless of whether or not they had exercised.
How can we keep triglyceride levels stable?
Temporary increases in triglyceride levels after a high-fat meal can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease . Researchers suggest that walking and aerobic training for an hour after eating a high-fat meal can lower the fat in the blood and control the rise in triglycerides normally seen as a result of these types of foods.
That is why it is recommended to exercise after eating a meal that has been high in fat, since it accelerates the speed with which the body uses them, reducing triglyceride levels.
Conclution
Although regular exercise reduces triglyceride levels, few studies have analyzed the effect of physical exercise shortly after eating .
Because the study was small, experts say more research is needed to see if the results apply to the general population.
In fact, other research published in 1998 found the opposite, that is, exercising 10 to 12 hours before a high-fat meal was better in terms of lowering triglycerides, although it also admitted that exercise after a meal brings some benefits.
The author of this 1998 study and associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, Stephen Ball, added that the ideal time to exercise is whenever possible and that enough activity should be done to burn more calories than one consumes .
References
- Rachael Rettner, After-Meal Exercise May Reduce Heart Disease Risk. For Livescience (Revised November 2015).
