Abstract
We investigated effects of 6 days of endurance exercise training [cycling at 65% of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) for 2 h a day on six consecutive days] on vascular function in young males. Measures of VO2peak, arterial stiffness, calf vascular conductance and heart rate variability were obtained pre- and post-training. Indices of arterial stiffness were obtained by applanation tonometry to determine aortic augmentation index normalized to a heart rate of 75 bpm (AI x @75 bpm), and central and peripheral pulse wave velocity (CPWV, PPWV). Resting and maximal calf vascular conductances were calculated from concurrent measures of blood pressure and calf blood flow using venous occlusion strain-gauge plethysmography. Time and frequency domain measures of heart rate variability were obtained from recording R–R intervals during supine and standing conditions. Both CPWV (5.9 ± 0.8 vs. 5.4 ± 0.8 m/s) and PPWV (9.7 ± 0.8 vs. 8.9 ± 1.3 m/s) were reduced following the training program. No significant changes were observed in AI x @75 bpm, vascular conductance, heart rate variability or VO2peak. These data indicate that changes in arterial stiffness independent of changes in heart rate variability or vascular conductance can be achieved in healthy young males following only 6 days of intense endurance exercise.
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Abbreviations
- AI x :
-
Aortic augmentation index
- AI x @75 bpm:
-
Aortic augmentation index at 75 beats per minute
- BF:
-
Blood flow
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- BP:
-
Blood pressure
- CPWV:
-
Central pulse wave velocity
- eNOS:
-
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase
- HF:
-
High frequency
- HRV:
-
Heart rate variability
- LF:
-
Low frequency
- LF/HF:
-
Sympathovagal balance
- ln:
-
Natural logarithm
- MAP:
-
Mean arterial pressure
- NO:
-
Nitric oxide
- nu:
-
Normalized units
- PPWV:
-
Peripheral pulse wave velocity
- PV:
-
Plasma volume
- PWV:
-
Pulse wave velocity
- RMSSD:
-
Root mean square of the successive R–R interval differences
- SD:
-
Standard deviation
- TP:
-
Total spectral power
- VC:
-
Vascular conductance
- VO2peak :
-
Peak oxygen consumption
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Currie, K.D., Thomas, S.G. & Goodman, J.M. Effects of short-term endurance exercise training on vascular function in young males. Eur J Appl Physiol 107, 211–218 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1116-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1116-4