John Zhang, associate professor of health and kinesiology
Research Close-up: John Zhang takes his job to heart
(May 17, 2002)--John Zhang, associate professor of health and kinesiology is principal investigator for the project "Effect of Exercise Timing on Postprandial Lipemia in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia," which is funded by the American Heart Association. In plainer English, the research project involves studying the effect of exercise on fat in the blood.
Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia is the medical term for highly elevated levels of fat circulating in the blood following a meal. It is a strong risk factor for both atherosclerosis and stroke, and because humans spend a great deal of time in this state, it may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.
But there's some positive news. High blood fat levels can be moderated by
exercise. In his study, researcher Zhang asked subjects with hypertriglyceridemia
to eat a sundae made from a mixture of ice cream and whipped cream with a
whopping 100 grams of fat. He then monitored their triglyceride counts for
24 hours. Next, he had the subjects exercise 12 hours before eating the sundae,
and then, 24 hours before.
Zhang found here was a "significant" drop in blood fat from exercising
12 hours before eating. Compared to the trial with no exercise, there was
no significant drop in triglyceride when exercising 24 hours before eating.
Thus, Zhang concludes that exercising 12 hours beforehand should be the optimal
time to decrease a fat meal-induced elevation of blood plasma triglycerides.
In his previous studies, Zhang found that exercise after a fat meal does
not have a beneficial effect on blood-fat lowering. The detrimental effects
of eating fat during a meal can be lessened by exercise before the meal.
This beneficial effect may blunt the postprandial-induced atherosclerotic
process.
Zhang will present his findings at the Experimental Biology 2002 conference
and may also extend his research to learn more about the effect of a workout's
intensity on blood fat.
The American Heart Association-funded research project being conducted by UTSA health and kinesiology faculty members still needs subjects. Male subjects, 25-50 years old, in apparent good health or with high blood triglyceride (over 200 mg/dl) are needed.
Subjects will perform a maximal treadmill test and mild exercise and will
have blood drawn. Subjects will receive: $200 paid compensation; free meals;
free blood triglyceride, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
analysis; and free fitness evaluation and diet analysis. If interested in
participating, call (210) 458-5799, and leave a message.
----------------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Research
Close-up: Jose Weissmann keeps on trucking
Research
Close-up: Donald Hodges has music on the brain
UTSA
student wins second place in national PR competition
Research Close-up: John Zhang takes his job to heart
Nominations
sought for Howe excellence-in-service award
----------------------------------------------------------
© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2002