In short:
- Regular aerobic training usually raises HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides.
- Training lowers LDL cholesterol only modestly; the effect grows with weight loss and improved nutrition.
- The biggest benefit comes from total training volume (the training load completed per week), not from a single hard effort.
- Strength training complements aerobic training, but the effect of aerobic exercise on the lipid profile is usually clearer.
Exercise and cholesterol go hand in hand: how active you are over a week directly shapes your blood fat levels — cholesterol and triglycerides. Below, we look at what the evidence shows actually changes, how much exercise is needed and which forms of training give the best results. General background can be found in the article Cholesterol.
How do training and cholesterol interact?
Physical activity affects blood fats in several ways. Aerobic training increases the activity of lipoprotein lipase in muscles, which helps clear triglycerides from the bloodstream, and promotes the circulation of HDL cholesterol (so-called good cholesterol). In a large randomized trial comparing the amount and intensity of exercise, lipoprotein measures improved mainly with a greater training volume, regardless of intensity (Kraus, 2002). This means that how much you move in total is often more important than how hard you push in any single session.
You can find more about the role of cholesterol itself and its reference values in the article Cholesterol.
How much does training raise HDL cholesterol?
HDL cholesterol is the part of the lipid profile that training affects most reliably. A large meta-analysis found that regular aerobic training raises HDL cholesterol by about 2.5 mg/dl on average, or roughly 0.065 mmol/l (Kodama, 2007). That number may seem small, but at the population level every small rise in HDL is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk. The same analysis indicated that the benefit was clearer when the duration of a single session was sufficient — longer, continuous sessions had more effect than very short ones (Kodama, 2007).
Is strength training or aerobic training better?
Both have a place. A systematic review comparing aerobic training, strength training and combined training found that aerobic training improves the lipid profile most consistently, often lowering triglycerides and LDL and raising HDL, while strength training has a more modest but complementary effect (Mann, 2014). In practice, combining the two gives the most complete result: aerobic exercise for blood fats, strength training for muscle mass and metabolism. For more on the wider effect of exercise on fat burning, read the article Fat burning and training.
How much should you exercise for the effect to be noticeable?
The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening activities twice a week. These recommendations also form the basis for favorably influencing blood fats — see the WHO physical activity guidelines. Consistency is what matters: changes in the lipid profile develop over weeks and months, not through individual workouts.
It’s worth remembering that training is only part of the whole picture. Blood fat levels are also affected by nutrition, body weight, sleep, smoking and hormonal factors; for example, the link between exercise and hormones is covered in the article Testosterone and training. If your cholesterol levels are high, training does not replace treatment prescribed by a doctor but complements it.
References
- Kraus WE, Houmard JA, Duscha BD, et al. (2002). Effects of the amount and intensity of exercise on plasma lipoproteins. New England Journal of Medicine. PMID: 12409541
- Kodama S, Tanaka S, Saito K, et al. (2007). Effect of aerobic exercise training on serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a meta-analysis. Archives of Internal Medicine. PMID: 17533202
- Mann S, Beedie C, Jimenez A (2014). Differential effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training and combined exercise modalities on cholesterol and the lipid profile: review, synthesis and recommendations. Sports Medicine. PMID: 24174305
Frequently asked questions
How quickly does training change cholesterol?
Changes in the lipid profile usually develop over weeks to months of consistent training, not after individual sessions. The earliest changes often seen are a drop in triglycerides and a rise in HDL.
Does training alone lower LDL cholesterol?
Training lowers LDL only modestly. The biggest effect on LDL comes when exercise is combined with weight loss and healthy eating.
Which type of training is best for blood fats?
Aerobic training affects the lipid profile most consistently, but combined aerobic and strength training gives the most complete result (Mann, 2014).
Does training replace cholesterol medication?
No. Training complements treatment and lifestyle changes, but when cholesterol is elevated it does not replace treatment prescribed by a doctor. Consult your doctor about treatment options.
Come and work out! ArtGym
