title: Regular aerobic exercise, without weight loss, improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in overweight and obese adults.
abstract: Lifestyle modification in the form of weight reduction by caloric restriction alone or in combination with regular aerobic exercise significantly improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in overweight and obese adults. We determined whether regular aerobic exercise, independent of weight loss, improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in overweight and obese adults. Twenty overweight and obese adults (age 53 +/- 1 years; BMI: 30.2 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2)) were studied before and after a 3-month aerobic exercise training intervention. Forearm blood flow (FBF) responses were determined (via plethysmography) in response to intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. There were no changes in body mass or composition with the intervention. FBF responses to acetylcholine were approximately 35% higher (P < 0.01) after (4.1 +/- 0.9 to 14.7 +/- 4.3 ml/100 ml tissue/min) compared with before (4.2 +/- 0.8 to 11.0 +/- 3 ml/100 ml tissue/min) exercise training. FBF responses to sodium nitroprusside were unchanged. These results indicate that regular aerobic exercise improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in overweight and obese adults, independent of changes in body mass or composition.
authors.affiliation: Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mestek
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Westby
authors.forename: Gary P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Van Guilder
authors.forename: Jared J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Greiner
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Stauffer
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: DeSouza
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010991:Plethysmography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D000109:Acetylcholine