Effects of disturbed blood flow during exercise on endothelial function: a time course analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the time course of endothelial function after a single handgrip exercise session combined with blood flow restriction in healthy young men. Nine participants (28±5.8 years) completed a single session of bilateral dynamic handgrip exercise (20 min with 60% of the maximum voluntary contraction). To induce blood flow restriction, a cuff was placed 2 cm below the antecubital fossa in the experimental arm. This cuff was inflated to 80 mmHg before initiation of exercise and maintained through the duration of the protocol. The experimental arm and control arm were randomly selected for all subjects. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and blood flow velocity profiles were assessed using Doppler ultrasonography before initiation of the exercise, and at 15 and 60 min after its cessation. Blood flow velocity profiles were also assessed during exercise. There was a significant increase in FMD 15 min after exercise in the control arm compared with before exercise (64.09%±16.59%, P=0.001), but there was no change in the experimental arm (-12.48%±12.64%, P=0.252). FMD values at 15 min post-exercise were significantly higher for the control arm in comparison to the experimental arm (P=0.004). FMD returned to near baseline values at 60 min after exercise, with no significant difference between arms (P=0.424). A single handgrip exercise bout provoked an acute increase in FMD 15 min after exercise, returning to near baseline values at 60 min. This response was blunted by the addition of an inflated pneumatic cuff to the exercising arm.

Acute effects of physical exercise with different levels of blood flow restriction on vascular reactivity and biomarkers of muscle hypertrophy, endothelial function and oxidative stress in young and elderly subjects – A randomized controlled protocol

“…This method has been shown to induce substantial gains of muscle mass and strength in healthy young [ 1 ] and older [ 2 ] adults with different clinical conditions [ 3 , 4 , 24 , 25 ]. However, the influence of age on vascular effects remains unclear, with some studies reporting deleterious responses in young subjects [ 6 , 8 , 9 , 26 ], while others observed preserved or improved responses in the elderly [ 5 , 10 , 11 ].…”

“…Although potentially relevant due to its clinical applications in the elderly within preventive or rehabilitation settings [ [2] , [3] , [4] ], few studies have evaluated the effects of this mode of intervention on the vascular health [ [5] , [6] , [7] ]. Moreover, studies with different age groups produced conflicting results.…”

“…Moreover, studies with different age groups produced conflicting results. In young individuals, BFR training seems to compromise the vascular function due to retrograde flow, with increased endothelial cell apoptosis eliciting pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic endothelial phenotype [ 8 ] or reductions in flow-mediated dilation [ 6 , 7 , 9 ]. In contrast, some prior studies reported unaltered [ 10 ] and even improved [ 5 , 11 ] endothelial function in the elderly.…”

The Effects of Eight Weeks High Intensity Intermittent Training and Blood Flow Restricted on Angiogenic Markers of Muscle in Male Runners

“…On the other hand, the application of BFR can involve multiple primary contractile stimuli including: shear stress (19), skeletal muscle hypoxia (20), metabolic stress (21) and oxidative stress (22), all of which are important stimuli of angiogenesis. In a recent investigation, the BFR stimulus is applied as an additional stimulus in the recovery intervals during an interval training program (23).…”

Hydroxytyrosol But Not Resveratrol Ingestion Induced an Acute Increment of Post Exercise Blood Flow in Brachial Artery

“…This occurrence may derive a fall in the vascular resistance of a given vascular district. However, several studies have shown that acute exercise can also have a not negligible impact on endothelial function [12] [13] [14] [15]. Indeed, a review by Padilla et al [16] indicates that acute exercise can be utilized as a model to allow for modulating more efficiently the mode, duration and intensity of exercise on the basis of the endothelial response.…”