High-volume resistance training reduces postprandial lipaemia in postmenopausal women

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 11weeks of low-volume resistance training (LVRT) and high-volume resistance training (HVRT) on muscle strength, muscle thickness (MT), and postprandial lipaemia (PPL) in postmenopausal women. Thirty-six healthy and untrained postmenopausal women (age, 58.9 +/- 5.8years; 68.6 +/- 10.3kg; and BMI, 26.9 +/- 4.8kg m(-2)) participated in resistance training 3x per week for 11weeks (HVRT=12; LVRT=13; and control group=11). Biochemical variables, both pretraining and post-training, were evaluated 16 h after the administration of an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) and metabolic variable during [energy expenditure (EE)] and after training session [excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)]. Muscle strength (1 RM) and MT were also calculated, and no significant differences were observed between the groups for PPL (mmol L-1 per 5h) as measured by glucose, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol. EE total (EE+EPOC; 6.12 +/- 1.21 MJ vs. 2.26 +/- 0.85 MJ), resting fat oxidation (5.52 +/- 1.69g h(-1) vs. 4.11 +/- 1.12g h(-1)); MT (vastus medialis, 21.4 +/- 1.8mm vs. 18.4 +/- 1.2mm and vastus lateralis 22.3 +/- 1.2mm vs. 20.8 +/- 1.3mm); triacylglycerol (TAG) 0, 1, 2, 4; and 5h after OFTT, TAG area under the curve (AUC) (5.79 +/- 0.42 vs. 7.78 +/- 0.68), and incremental AUC (-46.21 +/- 14.42% vs. 7.78 +/- 4.68%) were all significantly different post-training for HVRT versus LVRT, respectively (P<0.05). The results of this investigation suggest that HVRT reduces PPL in postmenopausal women.