Effects of Three Months of Moderate-to-Vigorous Aerobic Exercise on Lipid Profile and Atherogenic Indices in Premenopausal Female Students

Abstract

Background: Regular aerobic exercise may improve lipid metabolism and cardiovascular risk markers, but information on its effects on calculated atherogenic indices among apparently healthy premenopausal university students is limited. This study assessed the effect of three months of supervised moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise on lipid profile and atherogenic indices in premenopausal female undergraduate students. Methods: Eighty apparently healthy students aged 19–25 years were initially enrolled and randomly allocated to exercise and non-exercise groups. Participants in the exercise group performed supervised aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, five days per week, for three months; 30 participants in each group completed the study. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured by spectrophotometry. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), cardiac risk ratio (CRR), and atherogenic coefficient (AC) were calculated. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. Results: Compared with the non-exercise group, the exercise group showed significant reductions in TC, LDL-C, TG, AIP, CRR, and AC over the intervention period, while HDL-C increased significantly (p < 0.05). Baseline values were comparable between groups. Conclusion: Three months of consistent moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise was associated with favourable changes in conventional lipid parameters and calculated atherogenic indices among apparently healthy premenopausal students, supporting a potential role for structured exercise in cardiovascular risk reduction.