Assessment of Lipid Profiles among Athletes and Non-Athletes in Kalar City

Regular and professional physical activity has a significant impact on general health, lipid status, and body composition., Lipid profiles and anthropometric measures are considered the main indicators for understanding body composition and cardiovascular risk factors among both athletes and non-athletes. The aim of this study was to assess the body composition and lipid profile of athletes and non-athlete college students at the University of Garmian. This study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted on 45 endurance athletes and 30 sedentary male and female individuals. It took venous blood samples from the antecubital vein. Total blood cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-dense lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), Low-dense lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and very low lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) were determined by standard methods. It was found a significant difference in lipid profile and body mass index (BMI) between athletic and non-athletic individuals at different ages. A significant reduction in TC, TG, LDL, and VLDL concentrations was observed in athletes as compared to the control group. However, the HDL cholesterol and BMI of athletes were not significantly different when compared to the control group. Among athletes, BMI had a significant correlation with age, TC, and VLDL, but the same correlation was not significant in non-athletes. TG had a significant correlation with VLDL in athletes but not in non-athletes. According to this study, athletes had a better lipid profile than non-athletes, despite the slight difference in BMI, and this achieves one of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations in Iraq which is (Good Health). The significant correlations of body composition (BMI) and age with body lipid profiles in athletes may be useful for assessing body health.