HDL or 'good cholesterol' can protect you from heart disease. A new study shows that you can boost your HDL naturally by exercising for at least two hours each week.
In an analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials, researchers at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo found that people who exercise increased their HDL cholesterol by a modest but significant 2.53 mg/dL, which equates to roughly a 5 per cent drop in heart disease risk for men and a nearly 8 per cent reduction for women.
The researchers also found that it did not matter how intense the exercise was, or how frequently the people exercised. It was more important to exercise consistently. However, the length of an exercise session did matter. For every 10 minutes longer a workout session lasted, there was an additional 1.4 mg/dL rise in good cholesterol.
The researchers also found that exercise had the greatest effect in increasing HDL cholesterol in people with body mass indexes less than 28 and those who had total cholesterol levels of 220 mg/dL or greater.
While the effect of exercise identified in the study is likely smaller than that seen with HDL-boosting medications, including niacin and fibrates, the effect 'is potentially of substantial importance to public health,' the authors concluded.
