Habitual consumption of eggs does not alter the beneficial effects of endurance training on plasma lipids and lipoprotein metabolism in untrained men and women

Changes in plasma lipid and apolipoprotein profiles were evaluated in 12 healthy, unfit subjects (VO_2peak 39.1±2.8 ml·kg^-1·min^-1; 5 women, 7 men) at baseline and following endurance exercise training. The exercise protocol consisted of a 6-week endurance exercise training program (4-5 days week^-1; 60 min·session^-1; ≥65% HR_max). Subjects were randomly assigned to consume an egg- (n=6; 12 eggs·week^-1) or no-egg (n=6; 0 eggs·week^-1)-based, eucaloric, standardized diet for 8 weeks. Both diets were macronutrient balanced [60% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 10% protein (0.8 g·kg^-1·day^-1)] and individually designed for weight maintenance. Plasma lipids were measured twice within the same week at baseline and following exercise training. At baseline, subjects were normolipidemic with values of 163.9±41.8, 84.8±36.7, 60.6±15.4 and 93.1±52 mg dl^-1 for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, respectively. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze diet and exercise effects and interactions. In both groups, endurance exercise training resulted in a significant 10% increase in HDL-C (P<.05), a 19% decrease in Apo B concentrations (P<.05) and reductions in plasma CETP activity (P<.05). Plasma LDL-C decreased by 21% (P=.06). No main effects of diet or interactions with plasma lipids or Apo B concentrations were observed. These data demonstrate that endurance training improved the plasma lipid profiles of previously unfit, normolipidemic subjects independent of dietary cholesterol intake from eggs.