Left ventricular function and energy metabolism in middle-aged men undergoing long-lasting sustained aerobic oxidative training.
OBJECTIVE
Ageing of the human heart is characterised by morphological, functional and metabolic changes. Short-term interventions and cross-sectional studies in older individuals questioned the possibility that physical exercise may reverse these alterations. In this study we aimed to assess whether in middle-aged men involved in regular and long lasting physical activity these alterations were attenuated.


METHODS
Left ventricular (LV) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional image selected in-vivo spectroscopy (3D-ISIS) (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were performed using a 1.5T scanner in 20 healthy, young and 25 healthy middle-aged non-obese men with a sedentary lifestyle (11 young and 14 middle-aged) or undergoing regular aerobic oxidative training (9 young and 11 middle-aged). Insulin sensitivity was estimated by the homeostatic model assessment 2 (HOMA-2) model.


RESULTS
Sedentary young and middle-aged men were not different with respect to LV morphological parameters and systolic function. The phosphocreatine/ATP (PCr/ATP) ratio (marker of high energy phosphates metabolism) and the LV E-peak filling rate/A-peak filling rate ratio (E/A ratio) were lower in sedentary middle-aged than physically active subjects. Parameters of LV systolic function and the PCr/ATP ratio were not different in the middle-aged compared with the young trained men; the E/A peak flow ratio was higher in the middle-aged trained men than in the middle-aged sedentary men. Within the entire population, the PCr/ATP ratio and the E/A peak flow ratio were associated with insulin sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Trained middle-aged subjects showed a better pattern of LV energy metabolism and of diastolic function than their sedentary counterparts. At this age the exercise-related cardiac benefits were detectable when physical exercise was performed regularly and for a long period of time.
Perseghin
G
G
Internal Medicine-Section of Nutrition/Metabolism, IRCCS H San Raffaele, Milan Italy. perseghin.gianluca@hsr.it
De Cobelli
F
F
Esposito
A
A
Belloni
E
E
Lattuada
G
G
Canu
T
T
Invernizzi
P L
PL
Ragogna
F
F
La Torre
A
A
Scifo
P
P
Alberti
G
G
Del Maschio
A
A
Luzi
L
L
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008019:Life Style; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010725:Phosphocreatine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate