The short-term effects of prolonged intense exercise on plasma lipid transport parameters including cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein (LD) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and its subfractions HDL2 cholesterol and HDL3 cholesterol, on apolipoproteins (apos) A-I, A-II, and B, and on mass and activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) were studied in eight male endurance-trained athletes over the first week after a bicycle marathon. CETP mass concentration in plasma was quantified by a newly developed immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Plasma concentrations of cholesterol, TGs, LDL cholesterol, apo B, CETP, and cholesteryl ester transfer activity (CETA) were significantly reduced in the recovery period compared with pre-exercise values (cholesterol by 20%, P < .05; TGs by 63%, P < .05; LDL cholesterol by 32%, P < .05; apo B by 18%, P < .05; CETP mass by 29%, P < .05; and CETA by 14%, P < .05). HDL cholesterol and HDL2 cholesterol, in contrast, were significantly increased in the post-exercise period (HDL cholesterol by 12%, P < .05, and HDL2 cholesterol by 96%, P < .05), whereas HDL3 cholesterol showed a tendency to decrease in the late recovery period (by 8%, NS). Although changes in cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apo B, and CETP mass and activity were already evident in the early recovery period, HDL2 cholesterol showed a delayed response, reaching its maximum 72 hours after initiation of exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)