Hormonal
Moderate physical exercise (3-4 sessions/week of walking, jogging, swimming, skiing, or cycling) significantly increases serum HDL cholesterol and decreases serum triglycerides in asymptomatic middle-aged men, independent of weight loss.
If you are a middle-aged man who hasn't been exercising much, start with 3-4 moderate exercise sessions per week (like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling). You don't need to lose weight or exercise at high intensity to see improvements in your HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides. The key is consistency and getting your heart rate up to a moderate level (you should be able to talk, but not sing). This change happens regardless of whether your weight stays the same.
Serum triglycerides decreased from 1.54 ± 0.10 to 1.27 ± 0.08 mmol/1 (p < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased from 1.27 ± 0.04 to 1.41 ± 0.04 mmol/1 (p < 0.01) in the exercise group during the trial... The alterations in serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol in the exercise group were not dependent on weight reduction; similar changes were also seen in subjects with constant body weight during the intervention.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a control group, though the sample size (n=100) is moderate and the population is specific (middle-aged men).
Source
Effect of moderate physical exercise on serum lipoproteins. A controlled clinical trial with special reference to serum high-density lipoproteins.
Jussi K. Huttunen et al. · Circulation · 1979
DOI 10.1161/01.cir.60.6.1220
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