Mixed
Combining aerobic exercise with a prudent diet significantly reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in adults, but does not significantly increase HDL cholesterol.
To improve your cholesterol profile, you need to do both: move your body aerobically (walking, jogging, cycling) 2-5 times a week at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, AND eat a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol while ensuring you get enough fiber. Do this for at least 3 months. Note: While this combination lowers 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, it may not raise 'good' cholesterol (HDL), so focus on the overall risk reduction rather than just HDL numbers.
Aerobic exercise combined with a prudent diet is highly efficacious for improving TC, TC:HDL-C, LDL-C and TG, but not HDL-C concentrations, in adults.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of RCTs, though with significant heterogeneity (I2 > 75% for some metrics) and potential publication bias.
Source
Efficacy of aerobic exercise and a prudent diet for improving selected lipids and lipoproteins in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
George A. Kelley et al. · BMC Medicine · 2011
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