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Forearm blood flow response to acute exercise in obese and non-obese males

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Abstract

Chronic exercise is thought to improve endothelium-dependent vasodilation; however, few studies have evaluated the effects of acute exercise on microvascular vasodilatory capacity (MVC). Moreover, no studies have compared MVC responses in obese and non-obese individuals following acute exercise. To evaluate MVC, utilizing forearm blood flow (FBF) and excess blood flow (EBF) before and up to 48 h after a single exercise bout to elicit peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) in obese and non-obese males. Twelve obese (37.0 ± 1.1 kg/m2) and 12 non-obese (21.9 ± 0.3 kg/m2) males volunteered to participate. FBF measures, before and during reactive hyperemia (RH), were obtained prior to (PRE-E), immediately after (POST-E), and at 1 (POST-1), 2 (POST-2), 24 (POST-24), and 48 (POST-48) hours after exercise. EBF, was calculated as the difference between FBF, before and during RH. Blood samples were obtained to evaluate the response of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which are potential modifiers of MVC. FBF before and during RH were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in both groups POST-E. The EBF magnitude of change from PRE-E was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in non-obese when compared with obese males. Although not related to MVC, concentrations of IL-6 significantly decreased between POST-2 and POST-24 in both groups. An acute bout of exercise designed to elicit VO2peak significantly increased forearm MVC in non-obese and obese males, although the magnitude of change in EBF from PRE-E to POST-E was greater in non-obese males.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

Area under the curve

BMI:

Body mass index

BP:

Blood pressure

CHF:

Chronic heart failure

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

DXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

EBF:

Excess blood flow

ED:

Endothelial dysfunction

FBF:

Forearm blood flow

HR:

Heart rate

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

MetS:

Metabolic syndrome

MSGP:

Mercury in-rubber strain gauge plethysmography

NO:

Nitric oxide

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthase

PAR-Q:

Physical activity readiness questionnaire

POST-1:

1 h after exercise

POST-2:

2 h after exercise

POST-24:

24 h after exercise

POST-48:

48 h after exercise

POST-E:

Immediately after exercise

PRE-E:

Prior to exercise

RH:

Reactive hyperemia

RM:

Repeated measures

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha

VF:

Vascular function

VO2max :

Maximal oxygen consumption

VO2peak :

Peak oxygen consumption

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by the School of Education Research Initiation Awards Program at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Conflict of interest

  The authors have no conflict of interests.

Ethical standard

  This experiment complies with the current laws of the country in which it was performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Human Performance, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1015 West Main Street, Oliver Hall, Richmond, VA, 23284-2020, USA

    R. Lee Franco, B. A. Fallow, E. O. Acevedo & R. K. Evans

  2. Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, School of Education, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    C. J. Huang

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298-0036, USA

    J. A. Arrowood

Authors
  1. R. Lee Franco
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  2. B. A. Fallow
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  3. C. J. Huang
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  4. E. O. Acevedo
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  5. J. A. Arrowood
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  6. R. K. Evans
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Lee Franco.

Additional information

Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Franco, R.L., Fallow, B.A., Huang, C.J. et al. Forearm blood flow response to acute exercise in obese and non-obese males. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 2015–2023 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2626-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2626-7

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