American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 18, 79-85, Copyright © 1966 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Influence of Diet and Physical Activity on Blood Serum Cholesterol of Young Men

¹ From the Physical Education Research Laboratory, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas

This experimental study was carried out to determine the influence of a known amount of physical activity (treadmill running) on eighty-six young men who were divided into six population groups including experimental (active) and control (inactive) subjects who were lean, muscular and obese. The variance analysis two-way classification with replicated measurements indicated a significant difference between active and inactive subjects, and between groups. The greatest mean reduction in serum cholesterol occurred in the obese active subjects.

A dietary check list completed before and after a ten week period did not provide evidence of significant dietary variations which would explain serum cholesterol changes in the six subgroups. No significant weight changes occurred in these subgroups.

On the basis of this investigation it seems impossible to associate dietary changes during a ten week study period with the changes or lack of changes in serum cholesterol resulting from physical activity. Thus the mean changes in serum cholesterol found in this study are significant reductions and are independent of dietary influences and weight changes.