Table 5.

The effect of prepartum BCS class (HIGH vs. LOW) and exercise (CON vs. STEP) on average plasma concentrations of non‐esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β‐hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐chol), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐chol) and very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL‐chol) postpartum (determined on 3, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 42 days after calving), all in mmol/L; and liver TG determined in 16 cows in week −2, week 1 and week 2 relative to calving (expressed in g/kg wet weight (ww) and as a relative increase compared to week −2)

Item	Treatment group				SED	P‐valuea
	LOW CON	LOW STEP	HIGH CON	HIGH STEP		Exercb	BCSc	Exerc × BCS	Exerc × time	BCS × time	Exerc × BCS ×time
	(n = 7)	(n = 7)	(n = 8)	(n = 8)
NEFA (mmol/L)	0.33	0.34	0.53	0.45	0.086	0.535	0.018	0.474	0.909	0.206	0.888
BHB (mmol/L)	0.69	0.59	0.84	0.72	0.096	0.009	0.127	0.493	0.891	0.477	0.500
Cholesterol (mmol/L)	2.94	2.94	3.01	2.70	0.280	0.416	0.440	0.460	0.039	0.272	0.498
HDL‐chol (mmol/L)	2.08	2.07	2.12	1.93	0.181	0.586	0.650	0.912	0.059	0.196	0.713
LDL‐chol (mmol/L)	0.84	0.85	0.86	0.72	0.104	0.504	0.142	0.372	0.397	0.813	0.548
VLDL‐chol (mmol/L)	0.02	0.02	0.04	0.04	0.007	0.957	0.001	0.802	0.808	0.744	0.339
	(n = 4)	(n = 4)	(n = 4)	(n = 4)
Liver TG (g/kg ww)	17	21	53	36	10.3	0.499	0.005	0.160	0.137	0.007	0.331
Liver TG (relative)	1.8	1.7	3.9	2.3	0.71	0.099	0.058	0.229	0.202	0.043	0.359

Abbreviations: Exerc, exercise group (CON vs. STEP); BCS, body condition score class (LOW vs. HIGH).

^aThe main effect “time of sampling” was significant for all parameters reported (p < .001), except for BHB (tendency, p = .089) and VLDL‐chol (p = .235).

^b,c The significance value was set at p < .05, and a trend was declared at 0.05 ≤ p < .10.