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Topical Area: Sports Nutrition and Physical Activity

Sports Nutrition and Physical Activity (Poster Session)

(P32-019-23) Tapering Before NCAA Division I Cross-Country Competition Reduces Plasma HDL-C but Has No Effect on Structural HDL Apolipoproteins

Monday, July 24, 2023
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 402
Disclosure(s):
Kamryn E. Shapiro, B.S: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Exercise has been demonstrated to raise HDL-C levels, but its impact on the structural apolipoproteins of HDL-C requires further research. Before competition, cross-country athletes undergo a tapering period that involves less physical activity. This study aimed to find out if the protein components of lipoproteins and the tapering period were modified. We hypothesize that the structural apolipoproteins Apo-A1 and Apo-CIII of HDL-C will decrease during the tapering period.

Methods: Twenty-seven D-I cross-country athletes, ages 19 to 25, were followed for one season. Blood was collected during the preseason (pre) and postseason (post) and analyzed for HDL-C, LDL-C, and total cholesterol levels through enzymatic spectrophotometry, Alfa Wassermann Ace Axcel®. Apo-A1 and Apo-CIII were measured through Immunohistochemistry MAGPIX® multiplex assays. Using IBM® SPSS Statistics 25, a paired-samples t-test was used to compare pre and post values.

Results: HDL-C levels decreased significantly from pre vs post (64.2 ± 2.7 vs 60.7 ± 2.5 mg/dL, p = 0.03). No changes were observed on LDL-C (pre = 96.4 ± 4.9 vs post = 101.4 ± 5.5 mg/dL, p = 0.2) or total cholesterol (TC) levels (pre = 194.1 ± 6.1 vs post = 191.4 ± 6.3 mg/dL p = 0.59). LDL-C/TC ratio significantly decreased from pre vs post (0.49 ± 0.02 vs 0.52 ± 0.01, p = 0.03). We found no significant changes on Apolipoproteins Apo-A1 (pre = 92.3 ± 6.5 pg/dL vs post = 88.8 ±  6.8 pg/dL, p = 0.23), or Apo-CIII ( pre = 13.8 ± 0.1 pg/dL vs post = 13.3 ± 0.5 pg/dL, p = 0.37).

Conclusions: Tapering significantly decreased HDL-C levels. However, we didn’t see changes in HDL's main structural components. This suggests that rather than a reduction in the number of individual HDL particles, cholesterol in the HDL particles may be migrating to other lipoproteins or tissues.

Funding Sources: Weber State University’s Office of Undergraduate Research Grant