Triglyceride Levels & Exercise: 6 Important Genes To Look For

What are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you consume food, your body converts the calories that it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides, which are stored in your fat cells. Later on, hormones release these triglycerides for energy between meals. Hence, they play a crucial role in the body’s metabolism as a source of energy.

Triglycerides: The Basics

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. They have a simple chemical structure consisting of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. While often mentioned in the context of heart health and disease, triglycerides are essential for life. They are the most concentrated form of energy in the body, providing more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates or proteins.

Triglycerides and Energy Storage

When you consume more calories than your body needs immediately, these excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body. This process is a way for the body to conserve energy for later use. Between meals or when extra energy is required, hormones trigger the release of these triglycerides from fat cells, and they are converted back into energy.

Triglycerides and Body Functions

Beyond energy storage, triglycerides also serve other important roles in the body. They act as insulators and help maintain body temperature by providing a layer of protection against cold. They also protect the body’s organs by serving as a cushioning layer around them.

Triglycerides in the Diet

Triglycerides are also a part of your diet. They are present in fats and oils in the foods you eat. When you consume dietary fats, they’re broken down into triglycerides and fatty acids, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used for energy or stored for later use.

Triglycerides and Health

While triglycerides are necessary for health, high levels of triglycerides in the blood—known as hypertriglyceridemia—can be harmful. High triglyceride levels are associated with a greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. Thus, maintaining a healthy balance of triglycerides is important for overall health.

What is a Good Triglyceride Level?

According to the American Heart Association, normal triglyceride levels are less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Borderline high is defined as 150 to 199 mg/dL, high is 200 to 499 mg/dL, and very high is 500 mg/dL and above. Maintaining a triglyceride level close to the normal range is generally recommended for optimal cardiovascular health.

What Causes High Triglyceride Levels?

High triglyceride levels, known as hypertriglyceridemia, can be caused by a variety of factors. These include unhealthy lifestyle habits such as poor diet (particularly diets high in carbohydrates and sugars), excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and smoking. Certain health conditions like obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypothyroidism can also contribute to high triglyceride levels. Additionally, some medications, including birth control pills, diuretics, and steroids, can increase triglyceride levels.

How Do Triglyceride Levels Change with Exercise?

Regular physical exercise can help lower triglyceride levels. Exercise helps by decreasing the amount of fat stored in your body. When you engage in physical activity, your muscles need energy, which is sourced from triglycerides and glucose. As the body burns these fuels to meet its energy needs, triglyceride levels in the bloodstream decrease. Moreover, exercise also improves the function of enzymes responsible for breaking down triglycerides.

How Genes Influence Triglyceride Levels Change with Exercise?

Genetic factors can influence the extent to which exercise affects triglyceride levels.

Genetic Factors and Baseline Triglyceride Levels

Certain genes can significantly impact baseline triglyceride levels. Genes such as APOA5, LPL, and ANGPTL3 are associated with the regulation of triglycerides in the body. Variants in these genes can affect the body’s natural triglyceride levels even before exercise comes into the picture. For instance, the APOA5 gene plays a role in the breakdown of triglycerides, and certain variants of this gene have been associated with higher triglyceride levels.

Genes Affecting Exercise-Induced Triglyceride Reduction

Research has suggested that genetics can also influence the degree to which exercise affects triglyceride levels. For instance, individuals with certain genetic variants may experience a greater decrease in triglycerides in response to exercise, while others might see a smaller effect. However, the exact mechanism through which these genetic variants influence the interaction between exercise and triglycerides is not fully understood and is an active area of research.

Genes and the Type of Exercise

Furthermore, genetics may also play a role in determining which type of exercise is most effective in managing triglyceride levels. For instance, individuals with certain genetic profiles might experience greater reductions in triglycerides with resistance training, while others might benefit more from aerobic activities.

Genes and Exercise Adherence

Lastly, genes can also influence exercise behavior and adherence. Certain genetic variants can affect motivation to exercise and the degree of enjoyment derived from exercise. For example, variants in genes associated with dopamine regulation can influence motivation and reward, potentially affecting adherence to an exercise routine. Adherence to regular exercise is important in maintaining lower triglyceride levels, thus the genetic influence on behavior can indirectly affect triglyceride regulation.

Section Summary

Despite these genetic factors, it’s important to remember that lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, can help manage triglyceride levels even in the face of genetic predispositions. The impact of genes on triglyceride levels does not negate the importance of a healthy lifestyle in managing these levels.

Non-Genetic Factors that Affect Triglyceride Levels Change with Exercise

Several non-genetic factors can also influence how much exercise affects triglyceride levels. These include:

• Diet: A diet high in carbohydrates and sugars can increase triglyceride levels, which might counteract the effects of exercise.
• Alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol use can raise triglyceride levels.
• Body weight: Overweight and obese individuals tend to have higher triglyceride levels. Losing weight can help lower these levels, enhancing the effect of exercise.
• Age and sex: Triglyceride levels can increase with age and are often higher in men than in women.

How to Maintain Healthy Triglyceride Levels Based on Your Genes

Knowing your genetic predisposition can help in tailoring lifestyle modifications to maintain healthy triglyceride levels. For instance, if you have genetic variants associated with high triglycerides, you might benefit from more intense or frequent exercise, as well as stricter dietary modifications.

Understand Your Genetic Predisposition

The first step towards maintaining healthy triglyceride levels based on your genes is to understand your genetic predisposition. A genetic test can provide insights into whether you have variants associated with higher triglyceride levels. However, interpreting the results of such a test should be done with a healthcare provider or a genetic counselor who can explain what your results mean in the context of your overall health and lifestyle.

Tailor Your Exercise Routine

With your genetic information in hand, you might be able to tailor your exercise routine to your genetic profile. For instance, if you have genetic variants associated with a greater decrease in triglycerides in response to aerobic exercise, incorporating more of this type of activity could be beneficial. If you have variants associated with the enjoyment and adherence to exercise, finding an exercise routine you enjoy and can stick with will be important.

Adjust Your Diet

Your diet plays a significant role in managing triglyceride levels. Regardless of your genetics, a diet low in sugars and refined carbohydrates and high in fiber, healthy fats, and lean proteins can help manage triglyceride levels. However, your genetics could potentially influence how much of an effect these dietary changes have. Some genetic variants might make you more responsive to dietary changes than others.

Consider Medication if Necessary

In some cases, lifestyle modifications may not be enough to maintain healthy triglyceride levels, especially if you have certain genetic variants that cause extremely high triglycerides. If this is the case, your healthcare provider might recommend medication in addition to lifestyle changes.

Regular Monitoring

Finally, regular monitoring of your triglyceride levels is key. This can help you and your healthcare provider understand how your lifestyle changes are affecting your levels and whether any further adjustments need to be made. Regular monitoring is especially important if you have genetic variants associated with higher triglyceride levels.

Section Summary

It’s important to remember that genetics is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to managing triglyceride levels. While your genes can influence your triglyceride levels and how they respond to exercise, diet, and medication, your behaviors and lifestyle choices also have a significant impact.

Summary

References

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2. Sarzynski MA, Ruiz-Ramie JJ, Barber JL, et al. Effects of Increasing Exercise Intensity and Dose on Multiple Measures of HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Function. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2018;38(4):943-952.
3. Talmud PJ, Drenos F, Shah S, et al. Gene-centric association signals for lipids and apolipoproteins identified via the HumanCVD BeadChip. Am J Hum Genet. 2009;85(5):628-642.
4. Do R, Willer CJ, Schmidt EM, et al. Common variants associated with plasma triglycerides and risk for coronary artery disease. Nat Genet. 2013;45(11):1345-1352.