Effect of Long-Term Exercise Training on Blood Viscosity During Endurance Exercise at an Anaerobic Threshold Intensity

Abstract

Blood viscosity (etaB) is low in athletes, but the effect of exercise training on etaB during endurance exercise at an anaerobic threshold (AT) intensity in non-athletes is not well known, although it is known that exercise training sometimes induces the hyperviscosity syndrome. Fourteen subjects were recruited and divided into 2 groups: those who trained at an AT intensity for 30 min/day, 3 times weekly for 1 year (Group T, n=8), and sedentary subjects (Group C, n=6). The test protocol consisted of a single 30-min treadmill exercise at each individual's AT intensity, which was determined in advance. The etaB, plasma viscosity (etaP), and hematocrit were measured just before and at the end of the treadmill exercise. The subjects were not allowed to drink any water before exercise. In the Group C subjects, the hematocrit and etaP increased significantly and the etaB tended to increase. However, in the Group T subjects, the hematocrit and etaP did not increase and the etaB decreased significantly. These data indicate that long-term exercise training attenuates the increase in blood viscosity during exercise.

Factors affecting impairment of blood rheology in obese subjects

“…Shimada et al reported that BPT was positively correlated with daily consumption of tobacco or Brinkman's index, and three months of smoking cessation significantly reduced BPT [27]. On the other hand, multiple studies have indicated the importance of aerobic exercise for blood rheology through the improvement of plasma viscosity [28,29]. Thus, smoking and aerobic exercise habits should be considered more strongly than the degree of adiposity in obese subjects in order to improve blood rheology and prevent cardiovascular events in obese subjects.…”

Changes in Blood Viscosity with Heavy and Light Exercise

“…Regular, prolonged endurance training decreases BV in the resting state and reflects a negative correlation between BV and physical fitness (Charm et al, 1979;Letcher et al, 1981;Adachi et al, 2000). Overwhelming evidence suggests that consistent, habitual exercise can help prevent myocardial ischemia by enhancing electrical stability of the myocardium and increasing vagal tone, thereby protecting against ventricular fibrillation (Albert et al, 2000).…”

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

“…Optimal tissue oxygen supply is essential for proper athletic performance and endurance, an important factor of which is tissue perfusion, and thus, hemorheological parameters and microcirculation characteristics. It is known that exercise, usual physical activity, has a beneficial effect on the rheological status, but it also depends on its type, intensity, and regularity [14][15][16][17]. Romain et al in their meta-analysis study confirmed that regular exercise decreases hematocrit and RBC aggregation; however, there are still many controversial data and more studies are needed to further analyze these effects [18].…”