For years, doctors have routinely reminded their patients to lower high cholesterol levels. Now, a new study suggests that having cholesterol levels that are too low might actually lead to a reduction in muscle gain during exercise.

High cholesterol is linked to coronary heart disease and an increased risk of heart attack.

But the study, conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University, finds that the most impressive gains in muscle strength were achieved by study participants who had the highest cholesterol levels, rather than the lowest.

Those with low levels of cholesterol were taking cholesterol-lowering medications.

Fifty men and women between the ages of 60 and 69 were studied. They followed an exercise regimen that included stretching, riding a stationary bike and weightlifting three times a week for 12 weeks. All ate similar meals.

"One possible explanation is through cholesterol's important role in the inflammation process," the study's lead investigator Steven Riechman, an assistant professor of health and kinesiology, said in a release.
 
"As you exercise, your muscles can become sore because they are rebuilding muscle mass. More cholesterol may result in a more robust inflammatory response. We know that inflammation in some areas, such as near the heart, is not good, but for building muscles it may be beneficial, and cholesterol appears to aid in this process."

The scientists believe that cholesterol has an important role in muscle tissue repair — critical in building muscle mass. It shows that there is still a lot about cholesterol that we don't know, Riechman said.

The study, announced Thursday, was published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Gerontology.