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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1510949

Optimal Calorie Restriction Threshold:Effect of FATmax Exercise Combined with Different Proportions of Calorie Restriction on Hypercholesterolemia

Provisionally accepted
Yuetong Wu Yuetong Wu 1Li Zhang Li Zhang 1*Jing Li Jing Li 2Boyang Xue Boyang Xue 3Wenyuan Shang Wenyuan Shang 1Yingli Lu Yingli Lu 1
  • 1 China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China
  • 2 Yangtze University, Jing Zhou, China
  • 3 Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background/Objectives: To evaluate the impact of maximal fat oxidation intensity exercise combined with calorie restriction intervention on lipid-related parameters in a hypercholesterolemic population, and to determine if an optimal range of calorie restriction exists for effectively enhancing blood lipid profiles.A 4-week intervention study combined exercise and calorie restriction for 64 patients aged 18-60 with secondary hypercholesterolemia. Ultimately, 43 participants completed the study. The dietary intervention adhered to the principles of a balanced diet, with meal plans designed to provide three meals per day for the duration of the study. Each subject's daily calorie intake was set to match their individual resting energy expenditure (REE) plus varying proportions of physical activity (PA) calories.Participants were divided into four groups based on these proportions: REE only, REE+PA33%, REE+PA67%, and REE+PA100%. FATmax exercises were conducted 5 times per week, lasting 1 hour each.Results: 1) Compared with baseline, subjects' body weight, fat mass and body fat rate decreased significantly; fat-free mass also decreased significantly in the REE, REE+PA33%, and REE+PA67% groups. 2) Subjects' serum TC decreased significantly; serum LDL-C and ApoB decreased significantly in the REE, REE+PA33%, and REE+PA67% groups; there were no significant changes in serum HDL-C and ApoA1.3) Serum PCSK9 was significantly decreased in the REE and the REE+PA 67% groups; serum LDLR was significantly decreased in all groups of subjects. 4) Between the groups, the rate of change in serum LDL-C was significantly different.Conclusions: FATmax exercise combined with proper proportions of calorie restriction can significantly decrease serum cholesterol levels and fat mass in hypercholesterolemic patients. Nevertheless, it is misleading to assume that a drastic reduction in calorie intake invariably results in superior outcomes. Optimal costeffectiveness may be achieved within a calorie restriction range of REE+PA33-67%.

    Keywords: FATmax exercise, calorie restriction, LDL- C, ApoB, PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9)

    Received: 14 Oct 2024; Accepted: 10 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: Âİ 2025 Wu, Zhang, Li, Xue, Shang and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Li Zhang, China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China

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