Alterations of Selected Hemorheological and Metabolic Parameters Induced by Physical Activity in Untrained Men and Sportsmen

Abstract

Optimal tissue oxygen supply is essential for proper athletic performance and endurance. It also depends on perfusion, so on hemorheological properties and microcirculation. Regular exercise is beneficial to the rheological status, depending on its type, intensity, and duration. We aimed to investigate macro and microrheological changes due to short, high-intensity exercise in professional athletes (soccer and ice hockey players) and untrained individuals. The exercise was performed on a treadmill ergometer during a spiroergometry examination. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise to analyze lactate concentration, hematological parameters, blood and plasma viscosity, and red blood cell (RBC) deformability and aggregation. Leukocyte, RBC and platelet counts, and blood viscosity increased with exercise, by the largest magnitude in the untrained group. RBC deformability slightly impaired after exercise, but showed better values in ice hockey versus soccer players. RBC aggregation increased with exercise, dominantly in ice hockey players. Lactate increased mostly in soccer players, and the respiratory exchange rate was the lowest in ice hockey players. Overall, short, high-intensity exercise altered macro and microrheological parameters, mostly in the untrained group. Significant differences were found between the two sports. The data can be useful in training status monitoring, selection, and in revealing the causes of physical loading symptoms.

Hemorheological Alterations and Physical Activity

“…Sports and physical exertion cause changes of different nature and degree (positive or negative, strong, weak, moderate) in the biomechanical and fluid properties of blood and blood cells: In the modern scientific literature, there are data on the proven influence of regular physical exercises on basic hematological, hematometric and hemorheological indices of erythrocytes, on whole blood viscosity (WBV) and blood plasma (PV), on basic biochemical plasma components, on blood pressure, on morphological and functional changes of endothelial cells in vascular walls, etc. [31,76,77,86,90,103,108,111,114,117,118,120,122,127,129,130,[133][134][135][136][137][138].…”

“…This fact suggests approaching the training regimen of each elite athlete strictly individually, practicing well-chosen, balanced physical exercises specific to his preparation. Such a correct approach to the training regime of the respective athlete will help to achieve the so-called a state of hemorheological fitness [76,77]. The main, but not all, indicators for achieving this comfortable physiological state of the body are: reduced blood and plasma viscosity (WBV, PV), hematocrit (Hct) and erythrocyte aggregability, with increased deformability of red blood cells [76,77].…”

“…There is a growing number of modern studies that prove that regular-moderate in intensity and duration of impact, physical exercises and training improve hemorheological status and tissue perfusion in the body [76,77]. At the same time, it is striking that physical exertion changes more significantly the main hemorheological indices-WBV, PV, EI (elongation index of erythrocytes), erythrocyte deformability and aggregability, in untrained individuals (controls) compared to the stable values of the same hematometric parameters in professionally trained athletes and elite athletes.…”

Effects of Recurring IPC vs. rIPC Maneuvers on Exercise Performance, Pulse Wave Velocity, and Red Blood Cell Deformability: Special Consideration of Reflow Varieties

“…RBC deformability was identified as one physiological mechanism that affects aerobic performance [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. During aerobic and anaerobic physical performance, such as the incremental bicycle and arm crank ergometer tests performed in this study, the smallest capillaries with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the RBC need to be passed by the RBC to cover the elevated oxygen demand of the working musculature, and high RBC deformability has been shown to be advantageous for these events [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. Results of the present study indicate that RBC deformability, presented as the SS1/2:EImax ratio, remained unaffected by the tested high reflow conditions and was only affected to a minor degree by the low reflow (r)IPC maneuvers.…”

Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Hemorheological Blood Indices in Young, Healthy Women

“…Physical activity is one of the factors that may affect blood hemorheology [ 12 , 13 ]. Under the influence of a single, long-term physical effort, plasma volume decreases by up to 15% (hemoconcentration: increase in hematocrit and blood viscosity, while the total number and volume of erythrocytes do not change substantially) [ 13 ].…”