To elucidate if postprandial exercise can reduce the exaggerated lipidemia seen in type 2 diabetic patients after a high-fat meal. Two mornings eight type 2 diabetic patients (males) (58 +/- 1.2 years, BMI 28.0 +/- 0.9 kg m(-2)) and seven non-diabetic controls ate a high-fat breakfast (680 kcal m(-2), 84% fat). On one morning, 90 min later subjects cycled 60 min at 57% VO(2max). Biopsies from quadriceps muscle and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue were sampled after exercise or equivalent period of rest and arterialized blood for 615 min. Postprandial increases in serum total-triglyceride (TG) (incremental AUC: 1,702 +/- 576 vs. 341 +/- 117 mmol l(-1) 600 min), chylomicron-TG (incremental AUC: 1,331 +/- 495 vs. 184 +/- 55 mmol l(-1) 600 min) and VLDL-TG as well as in insulin (incremental AUC: 33,946 +/- 7,414 vs. 13,670 +/- 3,250 pmol l(-1) 600 min), C-peptide and glucose were higher in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic controls (P < 0.05). In diabetic patients these variables were reduced (P < 0.05) by exercise (total-TG incremental AUC being 1,110 +/- 444, chylomicron-TG incremental AUC 1,043 +/- 474 mmol l(-1) 600 min and insulin incremental AUC 18,668 +/- 4,412 pmol l(-1) 600 min). Lipoprotein lipase activity in muscle (11.0 +/- 2.0 vs. 24.1 +/- 3.4 mU g per wet weight, P < 0.05) and post-heparin plasma at 615 min were lower in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic controls, but did not differ in adipose tissue and did not change with exercise. In diabetic patients, 210 min after exercise oxygen uptake (P < 0.05) and fat oxidation (P < 0.1) were still higher than on non-exercise days. In type 2 diabetic patients, after a high-fat meal exercise reduces the plasma concentrations of triglyceride contained in both chylomicrons and VLDL as well as insulin secretion. This suggests protection against progression of atherosclerosis and diabetes.
Adipose Tissue Area Under Curve