Exercise 'Spurts' May Improve Blood Fats

(Reuters Health / Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise) -- Short bursts of exercise may help reduce the potentially dangerous spikes in blood fats that occur after fatty meals...

The findings of a new study highlight a way for people who are too pressed for time for a full workout to squeeze in heart-healthy exercise, researchers say.

"Multiple sessions of 10-minute exercise bouts, if repeated throughout a day, accumulate uniquely to lower fats in the blood compared to no exercise or a single long bout of equal duration, intensity and caloric expenditure," Dr. Thomas S. Altena of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield told Reuters Health.

"Because many people claim lack of time as a reason that prevents participation in a regular exercise program, our results indicate that cardiovascular disease can be prevented through accumulated short bouts that burn approximately 250 calories," Altena said.

Altena noted that short bouts of exercise are easy for most people to do. But it is important to get a total of at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, he said.

However, taking a slow stroll is not enough to reap cardiovascular benefits. The Missouri researcher noted that exercise must be of at least moderate intensity, meaning a brisk walk or a light jog.

It's perfectly normal for triglycerides and other blood fats to rise after a high-fat meal, but an abnormally large increase in fats -- a condition called postprandial lipemia -- has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. Research has shown that exercise can lower triglycerides and other blood fats after a meal.

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