A session of resistance exercise increases vasodilation in intermittent claudication patients

Abstract

No study has shown the effects of acute resistance exercise on vasodilatory capacity of patients with peripheral artery disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of a single session of resistance exercise on blood flow, reactive hyperemia, plasma nitrite, and plasma malondialdehyde in patients with peripheral artery disease. Fourteen peripheral artery disease patients underwent, in a random order, 2 experimental sessions: control (rest for 30 min) and resistance exercise (8 exercises, 2 sets of 10 repetitions at an intensity of 5-7 in the OMNI Resistance Exercise Scale). Blood flow, reactive hyperemia, plasma nitrite, and malondialdehyde were measured before and 40 min after the interventions in both sessions. Data were compared between sessions by analysis of covariance, using pre-intervention values as covariates. The increases in blood flow, reactive hyperemia, and log plasma nitrite were greater (p ≤ 0.05) after resistance exercise than the control session (3.2 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.1 mL · 100 mL(-1) tissue · min(-1), 8.0 ± 0.1 vs. 5.7 ± 0.1 AU, and 1.36 ± 0.01 vs. 1.26 ± 0.01 μmol ∙ L(-1), respectively). On the other hand, malondialdehyde was similar between sessions (p > 0.05). In peripheral arterial disease patients, a single session of resistance exercise increases blood flow and reactive hyperemia, which seems to be mediated, in part, by increases in nitric oxide release.

Vascular Mechanisms of Post-exercise Blood Pressure Responses in Peripheral Artery Disease

“…In the present study, blood flow and blood flow post-reactive hyperemia did not change after interventions. These results were different from a previous study [22], which observed an increase in these variables after REx in patients with PAD. Given that sample characteristics were similar between studies, the controversy may be caused by the different REx protocols employed in the studies (3 × 10 reps and 62 % of 1-RM, and 90 s interval vs. 2 × 10 at 55 % of 1-RM and 120 s interval).…”

“…mentioned mechanisms also occur in these patients. In fact, we previously observed no changes in cardiac autonomic modulation [2] and increased blood flow [22] after a single REx bout in PAD patients, suggesting a peripheral role. Thus our hypothesis was that post REx hypotension is due to reduced vascular resistance subsequent to improved blood flow and reduced arterial stiffness.…”

Intensive walking exercise for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…55,56 Nevertheless, other studies showed that the improvement in walking ability was correlated with altered metabolic activity of the skeletal muscles, as assessed by muscle biopsy. 57,58 Another possible mechanism may rely on increased nitric oxide synthase activity and increased endothelium-dependent dilation of the vessels, [59][60][61] improvements in cardiopulmonary capacity, 27 improved pain tolerance, and psychological adaptations to exercise training. 62 These potential mechanisms are described and summarized in Fig.…”

Acute effects of walking and combined exercise on oxidative stress and vascular function in peripheral artery disease

“…Studies in patients with PAD have shown that submaximal walking exercise decreases lower‐limb vascular resistance (VR L ) (Cucato et al ., ) whilst maintaining oxidative stress (Silvestro et al ., ). Similarly, resistance exercise has been shown to increase baseline blood flow (BF) and the blood flow response to reactive hyperaemia (RH) caused by an increase in plasma nitrite (Lima et al ., ). It is therefore plausible that an exercise bout including submaximal walking and resistance exercise (also called combined exercise) would enhance these effects.…”