HDL-cholesterol had an intermediate HDL2-cholesterol increase (2.6 mg/dL). The reason for different responses may be due in part to two factors: running distance and weight loss. When men begin running, much of their increase in HDL-cholesterol appears to be linked to the amount of weight they lose. The greater the weight loss the greater the HDL increase. The men who started with low HDL-cholesterol ran less (6.9 miles per week) than those who started out with relatively higher HDL (11.6 miles per week). This may explain the differences in weight loss between the low and high HDL men. A six-foot man lost an average of 8.1 pounds if he entered the study with an HDL-cholesterol under 38 mg/dL and 11.1 pounds if he entered with an HDL-cholesterol over 47 mg/dL. Additionally, each pound of weight lost produced a bigger increase in HDL2-cholesterol in men starting with high HDL than those starting with low HDL (see above graph). Although all men received the same intervention without regard to their starting HDL, the adherence to the prescribed running program appeared to be affected by the men's starting HDL-cholesterol level. Those men who ran the furthest and had the greatest weight loss had the greatest HDL-increase. These tended to be those that started out with higher HDL-cholesterol. These results suggest that running affects HDL-cholesterol levels in men differently depending