Effect of acute sprint interval exercise on central and peripheral artery distensibility in young healthy males

Abstract

Peripheral arterial distensibility is improved with sprint interval exercise training in young healthy participants (Rakobowchuk et al. in Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 295:R236-R242, 2008). To fully understand the mechanisms contributing to these training effects it is useful to examine the acute responses to sprint interval exercise. Following supine rest, nine healthy males completed either a single sprint interval (Wingate test) or a multiple sprint interval exercise session (4 Wingate tests each separated by 4.5 min). Following exercise, participants recovered for 60 min while central and peripheral arterial distensibility measurements were conducted at discrete time points, using applanation tonometry and ultrasound imaging and continuously, using central and peripheral pulsewave velocity (PWV). Single and multiple sprint interval exercise sessions caused similar changes in all variables. Heart rate was increased throughout recovery (p < 0.05), while central artery PWV was increased until 20 min of recovery (p < 0.05) and lower extremity PWV was decreased until ~45 min (p < 0.05). Distensibility of the superficial femoral artery showed a trend for a reduction at 2 min post-exercise (p = 0.06). These results indicate that extremely high intensity exercise transiently increases central artery stiffness, while metabolite induced vasodilation reduces peripheral stiffness in exercised limbs well into recovery.

The acute effects of running on blood pressure estimation using pulse transit time in normotensive subjects

“…For example, the reduction of arterial stiVness in the exercised limbs is observed 30 min after moderate-intensity cycling (Kingwell et al 1997), 2 min after low-intensity cycling (Sugawara et al 2003(Sugawara et al , 2004, 10 min after maximal aerobic exercise (HeVernan et al 2007), 3 min after maximum running (Naka et al 2003), 2 min after sprint interval exercise (Rakobowchuk et al 2009), and increased central arterial stiVness in aerobic exercise (Lydakis et al 2008).…”

“…In a study involving repeated running at the same exercise intensity, no signiWcant diVerence in arterial stiVness was observed in the exercised limbs (Rakobowchuk et al 2009). In this study, the intensity of exercise in the second phase was diVerent from the Wrst.…”

Longer rest intervals do not attenuate the superior effects of accumulated exercise on arterial stiffness

“…When at high intensity, both long-term (Rakobowchuk et al 2008(Rakobowchuk et al , 2013 and acute high-intensity interval exercise can elicit arterial stiffness changes (Rakobowchuk et al 2009). We have previously demonstrated that accumulated exercise in two 15-min bouts at low intensity resulted in superior effects on arterial stiffness compared to one continuous 30-min bout, and the dynamic changes of arterial stiffness indicated that the superior effects might depend on the residual effects from the first bout (Wang et al 2014).…”

The acute effect of maximal exercise on central and peripheral arterial stiffness indices and hemodynamics in children and adults

“…However, the varying exercise protocols used in these studies including incremental exercise to exhaustion (Heffernan et al 2007d;Naka et al 2003;Ranadive et al 2012;Yan et al 2014), moderate intensity continuous exercise (Kingwell et al 1997;Mc Clean et al 2007), brief low intensity exercise (Sugawara et al 2004;Sugawara et al 2003) and supramaximal exercise (Rakobowchuk et al 2009;Rossow et al 2010) showed that the effects of exercise in central stiffness are dependent on the intensity of exercise as well. High-intensity sprint exercise for instance, increases central artery stiffness (Rakobowchuk et al 2009) similarly to the response following acute resistance exercise (DeVan et al…”

“…High-intensity sprint exercise for instance, increases central artery stiffness (Rakobowchuk et al 2009) similarly to the response following acute resistance exercise (DeVan et al…”