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Combined aerobic and resistance exercise training decreases peripheral but not central artery wall thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes

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Abstract

Objective

Little is known about the impact of exercise training on conduit artery wall thickness in type 2 diabetes. We examined the local and systemic impact of exercise training on superficial femoral (SFA), brachial (BA), and carotid artery (CA) wall thickness in type 2 diabetes patients and controls.

Methods

Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 age- and sex-matched controls performed an 8-week training study involving lower limb-based combined aerobic and resistance exercise training. We examined the SFA to study the local effect of exercise, and also the systemic impact of lower limb-based exercise training on peripheral (i.e. BA) and central (i.e. CA) arteries. Wall thickness (WT), diameter and wall:lumen(W:L)-ratios were examined using automated edge detection of ultrasound images.

Results

Exercise training did not alter SFA or CA diameter in type 2 diabetes or controls (all P > 0.05). BA diameter was increased after training in type 2 diabetes, but not in controls. Exercise training decreased WT and W:L ratio in the SFA and BA, but not in CA in type 2 diabetes. Training did not alter WT or W:L ratio in controls (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Lower limb-dominant exercise training causes remodelling of peripheral arteries, supplying active and inactive vascular beds, but not central arteries in type 2 diabetes.

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Abbreviations

BA:

Brachial artery

CA:

Carotid artery

CV:

Coefficient of variation

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

ROI:

Region of interest

SD:

Standard deviation

SE:

Standard error

SFA:

Superficial femoral artery

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the help of David de Munnik (Department of Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands) with the analysis of the data and supervision of the training sessions. DHJT is recipient of the E. Dekker stipend (Netherlands Heart Foundation, 2009T064) and the Actelion Endothelin Research Award (2009 046).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Tim H. A. Schreuder, Inge Van Den Munckhof, Fleur Poelkens, Maria T. E. Hopman & Dick H. J. Thijssen

  2. Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

    Dick H. J. Thijssen

Authors
  1. Tim H. A. Schreuder
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  2. Inge Van Den Munckhof
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  3. Fleur Poelkens
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  4. Maria T. E. Hopman
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  5. Dick H. J. Thijssen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tim H. A. Schreuder.

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Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Schreuder, T.H.A., Van Den Munckhof, I., Poelkens, F. et al. Combined aerobic and resistance exercise training decreases peripheral but not central artery wall thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 317–326 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3016-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3016-5

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