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Cardiorespiratory fitness modifies the association between dietary fat intake and plasma fatty acids

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 57, pages 810–815 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the relation between (1) cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and (2) the interactions between cardiorespiratory fitness, dietary fat intake and plasma fatty acid composition.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting and subjects: The subjects were randomly selected, 127 middle-aged Finnish men participating in the DNASCO exercise intervention study.

Interventions: Cardiorespiratory fitness was determined spiroergometrically, dietary intake of macro- and micronutrients by 4-day food records and plasma fatty acids by gas chromatography. The subjects were divided into tertiles of aerobic fitness.

Results: Differences between fitness tertiles were not observed for dietary intake of total fat, and saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids (percent of total energy). In contrast, plasma saturated fatty acids were significantly lower (P<0.01) and polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly higher (P<0.05) in the highest fitness tertile compared to the lowest tertile. Dietary saturated fat intake was positively associated with plasma saturated fatty acids (r=0.342; P<0.05) and inversely with plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids (r=−0.453; P<0.01) only in the lowest fitness tertile. In addition, a positive correlation between body mass index and plasma saturated fatty acids (r=0.516; P<0.01) as well as a negative correlation between body mass index and plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids (r=−0.516; P<0.01) was observed in the lowest tertile solely.

Conclusion: Different levels in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with different levels in plasma saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and lead to modifications in the association between dietary and plasma fatty acids. These findings can perhaps be explained by a reduced hepatic fatty acid and lipoprotein synthesis as well as by an enhanced muscular lipid utilization, which are commonly seen in those who are physically active and who exhibit a higher level of fitness.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education in Finland (322/722/94; 80/722/95; 176/722/96; 42/722/97; 84/722/98), from the City of Kuopio, from the Juho Vainio foundation and from CERIN (Centre de Recherche et d'Information Nutritionnelles de Paris, France).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany

    D König, M W Baumstark & A Berg

  2. Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine and Department of Physiology, Kuopio University, Finland

    S B Väisänen & R Rauramaa

  3. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    S B Väisänen

  4. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA

    C Bouchard & T A Lakka

  5. Peurunka Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Laukaa, Finland

    M Alen

  6. Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland

    R Rauramaa

  7. Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Center for Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Göttingen, Germany

    M Halle

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  1. D König
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Guarantors: D König.

Contributors: All authors were directly involved in this study (planning, realization or laboratory measurements).

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Correspondence to D König.

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König, D., Väisänen, S., Bouchard, C. et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness modifies the association between dietary fat intake and plasma fatty acids. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 810–815 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601613

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