title: Endurance exercise training enhances cutaneous microvascular reactivity in post-menopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare cutaneous microvascular reactivity between untrained young and post-menopausal women, and assess the effects of 48 weeks of endurance exercise training on cutaneous microvascular reactivity in post-menopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty post-menopausal and 12 young women completed this study. Using laser-Doppler flowmetry, an index of skin blood flow was measured on the forearm at rest, during post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH), and during localised heating to 42°C. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated as the ratio of laser-Doppler flow to mean arterial pressure (in AU mm Hg(-1)). For the post-menopausal women, this assessment was also performed after 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks of endurance exercise training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PORH and maximum CVC responses were depressed in untrained post-menopausal women compared with young controls (P ≤ 0.011 for all methods of data expression). PORH was increased (P<0.05) in the post-menopausal women after 24 weeks of exercise training (0.51 ± 0.16 vs. 0.65 ± 0.23 AU mm Hg(-1)), with further increases after 36 and 48 weeks (0.76 ± 0.27 and 0.88 ± 0.32 AU mm Hg(-1), respectively). Similarly, maximum CVC was increased (P<0.05) after 24 weeks (2.20 ± 0.31 vs. 2.66 ± 0.27 AU mm Hg(-1)), and at the 36-week assessment (2.90 ± 0.30 AU mm Hg(-1)). Cardiopulmonary fitness (V˙O(2)max) increased after 12 weeks (23.5 ± 4.4 vs. 25.4 ± 5.1 mL kg(-1)min(-1); P<0.05), and improved further throughout the intervention (31.6 ± 5.9 mL kg(-1)min(-1) at week 48). There was a moderate positive relationship between the change in PORH (in AU mm Hg(-1)) between weeks 0 and 48 and the concomitant change in V˙O(2)max (r=0.65, P=0.002). After 24-36 weeks of exercise training, the PORH and maximum CVC responses of the post-menopausal women did not differ to those of the young untrained women (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cutaneous microvascular reactivity is reduced in post-menopausal women compared to young controls and increased to similar levels after 24-36 weeks of mild-to-moderate endurance exercise.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
authors.forename: Garry A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Tew
authors.forename: Keith P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: N Tim
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Cable
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hodges
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008833:Microcirculation; D055806:Microvessels / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010809:Physical Fitness; D017698:Postmenopause; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation; D055815:Young Adult