HDL Levels in Athletes: Understanding the Benefits

HDL levels in athletes register significantly higher than those in sedentary individuals. People who frequently exercise enjoy the health benefit of increased high density lipoproteins (HDL), a substance that clears excess cholesterol from the body.

Identification

• The liver produces both HDL and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) to serve as carriers of cholesterol and fats throughout the circulatory system. HDL is considered the ̶0;good̶1; form of cholesterol with elevated amounts of HDL suggesting a healthy cholesterol balance.

Significance

• Exercise jump-starts the production of HDL. ̶0;Within two months of starting, frequent aerobic exercise can increase HDL cholesterol by about 5 percent in otherwise healthy sedentary adults,̶1; according to the Mayo Clinic.

Athletes

• Athletes exercising vigorously experience the same results. ̶0;Endurance-trained athletes have much higher HDL-C values compared to sedentary populations,̶1; says Dr. Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico. ̶0;The primary reason for the elevation in HDL-C is an increase in lipoprotein lipase activity.̶1;

Types

• HDL-C is one of the 5 classifications of HDL while lipoprotein lipase is a bloodstream enzyme that breaks down fat in LDL for fuel and transforms this ̶0;bad̶1; cholesterol into ̶0;good̶1; HDL.

Benefits

• Athletic exercise trains the body to produce more lipoprotein lipase and turn fat into fuel for muscles while encouraging the production of HDL.