Whey protein improves HDL/non-HDL ratio and body weight gain in rats subjected to the resistance exercise

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of resistance exercise, such as weight-lifting (WL) on the biochemical parameters of lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease risk in the rats fed casein (control) or whey protein (WP) diets. Thirty-two male Fisher rats were randomly assigned to sedentary or exercise-trained groups and were fed control or WP diets. The WL program consisted of inducing the animals to perform the sets of jumps with weights attached to the chest. After seven weeks, arteriovenous blood samples were collected for analysis. The WL or WP ingestion were able to improve the lipid profile, reducing the TC and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations, but only WP treatment significantly increased the serum HDL concentrations, thereby also affecting the TC/HDL and HDL/non-HDL ratios. However, WL plus WP was more effective in improving the HDL/non-HDL ratio than the exercise or WP ingestion alone and the body weight gain than exercise without WP ingestion.