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Review
. 2008 Oct;105(4):1323-32.
doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.90553.2008. Epub 2008 Jun 26.

Habitual exercise and arterial aging

Douglas R Seals  1 , Christopher A Desouza, Anthony J Donato, Hirofumi Tanaka
Affiliations
Review

Habitual exercise and arterial aging

Douglas R Seals et al. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2008 Oct.

Abstract

Aging affects the function and structure of arteries and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In healthy sedentary adults, aging is associated with increased stiffness (reduced compliance) of large elastic arteries; impaired vascular endothelial function, including reductions in endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (fibrinolytic capacity) and endothelial progenitor cell number and function; increased intima-media wall thickness (IMT); and peripheral vasoconstriction (decreased basal leg blood flow). Habitual physical activity/increased aerobic exercise capacity is associated with reduced risk of CVD. Compared with their sedentary peers, adults who regularly perform aerobic exercise demonstrate smaller or no age-associated increases in large elastic artery stiffness, reductions in vascular endothelial function, and increases in femoral artery IMT. A short-term, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention (brisk daily walking for 12 wk) improves carotid artery compliance and can restore vascular endothelial function in previously sedentary middle-aged and older adults. Reduced oxidative stress may be an important mechanism contributing to these effects. Habitual resistance exercise increases (high-intensity) or does not affect (moderate-intensity) large elastic artery stiffness, and prevents/restores the age-associated reduction in basal leg blood flow independent of changes in leg fat-free mass. Habitual exercise favorably modulates several expressions of arterial aging, thus preserving vascular function and possibly reducing the risk of CVD.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Age-associated reductions in carotid artery compliance in sedentary and endurance exercise-trained men (left) and improvements in carotid artery compliance with 3 mo of aerobic exercise training (right). MA, middle aged. *P < 0.05 vs. young within same activity group. ‡P < 0.05 vs. sedentary of same age group. †P < 0.01 vs. before training. [From Tanaka et al. (106).]
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to intrabrachial artery infusion of acetylcholine (i.e., endothelium-dependent dilation) in sedentary (left) and endurance exercise-trained (middle) healthy young and middle-aged/older men, and before and after an aerobic exercise intervention in middle-aged/older men (right). *P < 0.05. [From DeSouza et al. (17).]
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Reductions in FBF in response to intra-brachial artery infusion of NG-monomethyl l-arginine (l-NMMA) (i.e., tonic nitric oxide release) in sedentary (left) and endurance exercise-trained (middle) healthy young and middle-aged/older men, and before and after an aerobic exercise intervention in middle-aged/older men (right). *P < 0.05.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Net release rate of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen across the forearm in response to intrabrachial artery infusion of bradykinin in sedentary (left) and endurance exercise-trained (middle) healthy young and middle-aged/older men, and before and after an aerobic exercise intervention in middle-aged/older men (right). *P < 0.05. [From Smith et al. (93).]
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Summary of modulatory effects of habitual aerobic and resistance exercise on selective features of arterial aging in healthy adults. −, inhibition of; +, exacerbation of; ↔, no influence on the effects of sedentary aging; ?, no published data available; EDD, endothelium-dependent dilation; t-PA, tissue-type plasminogen activator (fibrinolytic capacity); EPC, endothelial progenitor cells; IMT, intima-media thickness; BF, blood flow; VC, vascular conductance.
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