The effect of exercise and fish oil supplements on the blood lipid levels of the hamster

The effect of aerobic exercise and fish oil supplements on plasma lipid parameters was investigated in the hamster. The hamsters were fed a basal hypercholesterolemic purified diet (0.1% cholesterol, 15% fat) to elicit an elevated lipid response. Fifty-six hypercholesterolemic hamsters were divided into four groups: control, swimming (trained up to one hour every other day), daily fish oil supplementation (.35g/kg/day omega-3), and a swimming/fish oil combination. The effect of these treatments on plasma TC, TG and pooled samples of plasma HDL-C, HDL2â C, LDL-C and VLDL-C was studied over 12 weeks. All hamsters had a significant increase in body weight. Feed intakes increased at 6 weeks and then declined over the second 6 weeks, but remained above the beginning levels.