Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hormonal involvement in the reduction of cholesterol associated with chronic exercise

  • Published:
Internationale Zeitschrift für angewandte Physiologie einschließlich Arbeitsphysiologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The involvement of hormones in the reduction of cholesterol associated with chronic exercise was investigated in male rats maintained on a normal diet. Trained or nontrained animals belonging to one of the following groups were used: normal, thyroidectomized, hypophysectomized or hypophysectomized plus thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Rats were trained in motor driven treadmills for a minimum of ten weeks and were capable of running continuously an hour a day at a speed of a mile/hour. Significant increases in ligamentous strength indicated that the training program was effective in producing a trained state.

Plasma cholesterol data showed no significant differences between the trained and nontrained animals in any group. These results suggested that animals must be on a high fat diet before exercise will be associated with a systematic reduction of plasma cholesterol levels.

The liver data from the normal animals demonstrated that the exercise regime was capable of significantly reducing cholesterol levels. Results from the animals devoid of thyroid activity (hypophysectomized and thyroidectomized), showed no significant effect from training. However, the hypophysectomized rats receiving TSH did exhibit a significant reduction in liver cholesterol.

These findings imply that thyroid hormones are involved in the reduction of cholesterol with exercise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Bibliography

  1. Adams, A.: Effect of exercise upon ligament strength. Res. Quart.37, 163–167 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barker, S. B.: Physiological activity of thyroid hormones and analogues. In: The thyroid gland, Vol. I, pp. 199–236. Ed. byR. Rivers andW. R. Trotter. London: Butter-worths 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Best, M. M., andC. H. Duncan: Effect of certain thyroxine analogues on liver cholesterol. Amer. J. Physiol.199, 1000–1002 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Campbell, D. E.: Influence of several physical activities on serum cholesterol concentrations in young men. J. Lipid Res.6, 478–480 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  5. —, andT. M. Lumsden: Serum cholesterol concentrations during physical training and during subsequent detraining. Amer. J. med. Sci.253, 155–161 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Carriere, R., andH. Isler: Effect of frequent housing changes and of muscular exercise on the thyroid gland of mice. Endocrinology64, 414–418 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Conn, J. W., W. C. Vogel, L. H. Louis, andS. S. Fajans: Serum cholesterol: A probable precursor of adrenal cortical hormones. J. Lab. clin. Med.35, 504–517 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Golding, L. A.: Effects of physical training upon total serum cholesterol levels. Res. Quart.32, 499–506 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gollnick, P. D.: Chronic effect of exercise on liver cholesterol of normal and hypercholesteremic rats. Amer. J. Physiol.205, 453–456 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  10. —, andS. W. Simmons: Physical activity and liver cholesterol. Int. Z. angew. Physiol.23, 322–330 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Handler, P.: The influence of thyroid activity on the liver and plasma lipids of choline- and cystine-deficient rats. J. biol. Chem.173, 295–303 (1948).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hebbelinck, M., andH. Casier: Effect of muscular exercise on the metabolism of 4-C14 labelled cholesterol in mice. Int. Z. angew. Physiol.22, 185–189 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Jones, E. M., H. J. Montoye, P. B. Johnson, M. J. M. Martin, W. D. Van Huss, andD. Cederquist: Effect of exercise and food restriction on serum cholesterol and liver lipids. Amer. J. Physiol.207, 460–466 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Khorol, I. S.: Investigation of the functional state of the thyroid gland in sportsmen. Probl. Endokr. Gormonoter. (Russian)7, 88–92 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  15. —: Absorption of I131 by the thyroid gland in athletes during physical exertion. Bull. exp. Biol. Med.54, 962–964 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kipshidze, N. N.: The effect of physical strain on the development of experimentally indiced atherosclerosis. Bull. exp. Biol. Med.46, 1316–1321 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kyle, L. H., W. C. Hess, andW. P. Walsh: The effect of ACTH, cortisone, and operative stress upon blood cholesterol levels. J. Lab. clin. Med.39, 605–617 (1952).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Lewis, L. A., I. H. Page, andH. B. Brown: Effect of exercise on serum and hepatic lipids in rats fed high fat diets. Amer. J. Physiol.201, 4–8 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lin, T. H., R. Rubinstein, andW. L. Holmes: A study of the effects of D- and L-triiodothyronine on bile acid excretion of rats. J. Lipid Res.4, 63–67 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Montoye, H. J., J. Sherburne, K. Ackerman, E. M. Jones, andD. Cederquist: Effects of exercise and milk consumption on blood serum cholesterol in rats. Res. Quart.33, 430–438 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  21. —,W. D. van Huss, W. D. Brewer, E. M. Jones, M. A. Ohlson, E. Mahoney, andH. Olson: The effects of exercise on blood cholesterol in middle-aged men. Amer. J. clin. Nutr.7, 139–145 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Orma, E. J.: Effect of physical activity on atherogenesis, an experimental study in cockerals. Acta physiol. scand.41, Suppl. 142, 1–75 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rochelle, R. H.: Blood plasma cholesterol changes during a physical training program. Res. Quart.32, 538–550 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Schoenheimer, R., andW. M. Sperry: A micromethod for the determination of free and combined cholesterol. J. biol. Chem.106, 745–760 (1934).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Simko, V., andJ. Babala: Physical activity and the fat metabolism in rats. Med. Exp.10, 286–290 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Sperry, W. M., andM. Webb: A revision of the Schoenheimer-Sperry method for cholesterol determination. J. biol. Chem.187, 97–106 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Steand, O.: Effects of D- and L-triiodothyronine and of propylthiouracil on the production of bile acids in the rat. J. Lipid Res.4, 305–311, (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Tanner, J. M.: The relation between serum cholesterol and physique in healthy young men. J. Physiol. (Lond.)115, 371–390 (1951).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Tipton, C. M.: Training and bradycardia in rats. Amer. J. Physiol.209, 1089–1094 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  30. —,R. J. Barnard, andTse-Kia Tcheng: Cardiac adaptations in trained hypophysectomized rats. Circulation34, Suppl. II, 229 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  31. —,R. J. Schild, andA. E. Flatt: The measurement of ligamentous strength in rat knees. J. Bone Jt Surg.49-A, 63–72 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  32. — —, andR. J. Tomanek: Influence of physical activity on the strength of knee ligaments in rats. Amer. J. Physiol.212, 783–787 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  33. - R. L.Terjung, and R. J.Barnard: Response of thyroidectomized rats to training. (In preparation.)

  34. Turner, C. D.: General Endocrinology, 4th Edition, p. 126. Philadelphia: Saunders 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Warnock, N. H., T. B. Clarkson, andR. Stevenson: Effect of exercise on blood coagulation time and atherosclerosis of cholesterol-fed cockerels. Circ. Res.5, 478–480 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Weiss, S. B., andW. Marx: The fate of radioactive cholesterol in mice with modified thyroid activities. J. biol. Chem.213, 349–353 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Wolff, E. C., andJ. Wolff: The mechanism of action of the thyroid hormones. In: The Thyroid Gland, Ed. byR. Pitt-Rivers, Vol. I, p. 237–282. London: Butterworth 1964.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise Physiology Laboratory University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

    R. J. Barnard, R. L. Terjung & C. M. Tipton

Authors
  1. R. J. Barnard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. L. Terjung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. M. Tipton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Supported in part by funds provided by Iowa Heart Association and Public Health Service Grant No. AM-08893-4.

An abstract of the results as they pertain to the thyroideetomized rats has been published in Fed. Proc.26, 775 (1967).

NDEA Fellows in Exercise Physiology

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barnard, R.J., Terjung, R.L. & Tipton, C.M. Hormonal involvement in the reduction of cholesterol associated with chronic exercise. Int. Z. Angew. Physiol. Einschl. Arbeitsphysiol. 25, 303–309 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00699620

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00699620

Keywords

Search

Navigation