Three months of strictly controlled daily endurance exercise reduces thrombin generation and fibrinolytic risk markers in younger moderately overweight men

Abstract

Our results demonstrate an effect of 3 months of daily endurance exercise on biomarkers of the haemostatic balance in the direction of reduced cardiovascular risk, independent of exercise dose.

Effects of 6 Months of Active Commuting and Leisure-Time Exercise on Fibrin Turnover in Sedentary Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomised Controlled Trial

“…It is unclear why we were unable to reproduce our previous results on increased exercise and reduced ETP, but one explanation could be that the exercise frequency was reduced from 6-7 sessions/week in our previous study [20] to 4-5 sessions/week in the present study. Acute exercise is known to activate coagulation and fibrinolytic properties [22, 24, 45–47], and the findings of the present study, along with the findings by Hilberg et al [24], may suggest that less-frequent activation of coagulation through ∼4 exercise sessions/week for 3 or 6 months does not lower ETP levels in overweight individuals.…”

“…In the present study, the participants were instructed not to exercise one day prior to testing in order to avoid potential carry-over effects of coagulation activation and possibly also on ETP. Exercise intensity does not explain the deviation since the participants in the VIG group in the present study exercised at the same intensity as in our previous study [20]. …”

“…High levels of ETP have been associated with thromboembolism and arterial vascular disease [36, 37]. In a previous study, we observed that ETP was lowered by daily vigorous-intensity endurance exercise at high and moderate doses for 3 months among healthy men who are overweight [20]. This was not confirmed in the present study, where no effects on ETP were observed after 3 and 6 months of active commuting or moderate- or vigorous-intensity leisure-time exercise 4-5 times/week.…”

“…Thrombosis is a key factor in CVD caused by disturbances in the haemostatic balance [14–18], and numerous studies have tried to elucidate the effects of exercise on the haemostatic balance [19]. In a recent study [20], we observed that daily endurance exercise at vigorous intensity for 3 months in overweight men exerts an effect on blood coagulation in the direction of anticoagulation, expressed as reduced endogenous thrombin potential (ETP). Others have similarly reported that short-term (<3 months) aerobic exercise affects the balance between blood coagulation and fibrinolysis [21–25], but the results are conflicting and may depend on the duration and intensity of the prescribed exercise regimens.…”

The exercise paradox may be solved by measuring the overall thrombotic state using native blood

“…Studies have found that long-term exercise inhibited thrombin generation, reduced platelet reactivity and fibrin formation, and increased fibrinolytic activity (28,(38)(39)(40)(41). These results suggest that long-term exercise may help to prevent sudden death.…”