title: Effects of a 12-week alpine skiing intervention on endothelial progenitor cells, peripheral arterial tone and endothelial biomarkers in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endothelial dysfunction occurs early during atherogenesis and it can be normalized by exercise training. Unfortunately, patients' compliance with exercise prescription remains low, often because the given choices do not appeal to them. In Alpine regions, skiing is a popular mode of exercise, and therefore we set out to assess whether it can induce antiatherogenic effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomized 42 subjects into a group of 12weeks of guided skiing (intervention group, IG, n=22; 12 males/10 females; age: 66.6±2.1years) or a control group (CG, n=20; 10 males/10 females; age: 67.3±4.4years). Early (CD3-CD34+CD45+) and late endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs; CD45dimCD34+KDR+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs), peripheral arterial tonometry and endothelial biomarkers were assessed at the beginning and end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the IG, participants completed 28.5±2.6 skiing days at an average heart rate of 72.7±8.5% of their maximum heart rate. Changes in early (IG: +0.001±0.001% PBMC; CG: -0.001±0.001% PBMC; IG vs. CG: p<0.001) but not late EPCs differed significantly. Changes in peripheral arterial tone differed significantly between IG (Reactive Hyperemia Index: +0.18±0.76) and CG (-0.39±0.85; p=0.045), as did homocysteine (IG: -1.3±1.3μmol/l; CG: -0.4±1.4μmol/l; p=0.037) while other endothelial biomarkers remained essentially unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that skiing induces several beneficial effects on markers of atherogenesis including EPCs, peripheral arterial tone and homocysteine. Our findings suggest that recreational alpine skiing may serve as a further mode of preventive exercise training, which might result in improved compliance with current recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Institute of Sports Medicine of the State of Salzburg, Sports Medicine of the Olympic Center Salzburg-Rif, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niederseer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Institute of Sports Medicine of the State of Salzburg, Sports Medicine of the Olympic Center Salzburg-Rif, Salzburg, Austria; Institute of Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Institute of Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steidle-Kloc
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Institute of Sports Medicine of the State of Salzburg, Sports Medicine of the Olympic Center Salzburg-Rif, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Institute of Sports Medicine of the State of Salzburg, Sports Medicine of the Olympic Center Salzburg-Rif, Salzburg, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Edith E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cadamuro
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Institute of Pharmacology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Patsch
authors.affiliation: Xlab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dela
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science and Kinesiology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Institute of Sports Medicine of the State of Salzburg, Sports Medicine of the Olympic Center Salzburg-Rif, Salzburg, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. Electronic address: j.niebauer@salk.at.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niebauer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Cardiovascular risk; Endothelium; Ski