Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise

Dissimilar Impact of a Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity on Anthropometric Indices: A Cross-Sectional Study from the ILERVAS Project

There is a close relationship between lifestyle behaviors and excess adiposity. Although body mass index (BMI) is the most used approach to estimate excess weight, other anthropometric indices have been developed to measure total body and abdominal adiposity. However, little is known about the impact of physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean diet on these indices. Here we report the results of a cross-sectional study with 6672 middle-aged subjects with low to moderate cardiovascular risk from the Ilerda Vascular (ILERVAS) project. The participants' adherence to physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form) and MedDiet (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener) was evaluated. Measures of total adiposity (BMI, Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE), and Deurenberg's formula), central adiposity (waist and neck circumferences, conicity index, waist to height ratio, Bonora's equation, A body adiposity index, and body roundness index), and lean body mass (Hume formula) were assessed. Irrespective of sex, lower indices of physical activity were associated with higher values of total body fat and central adiposity. This result was constant regardless of the indices used to estimate adiposity. However, the association between MedDiet and obesity indices was much less marked and more dependent on sex than that observed for physical activity. Lean body mass was influenced by neither physical activity nor MedDiet adherence. No joint effect between physical activity and MedDiet to lower estimated total or central adiposity indices was shown. In conclusion, physical activity is related to lower obesity indices in a large cohort of middle-aged subjects. MedDiet showed a slight impact on estimated anthropometric indices, with no joint effect when considering both lifestyle variables. ClinTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03228459.

Cardiac hypertrophy is stimulated by altered training intensity and correlates with autophagy modulation in male Wistar rats

Background

The mechanism for cardiac hypertrophy process that would be a benefit for improvement of cardiovascular endurance needed to be investigated throughly. Specific intensity of training may play a role for homeostasis process in cardiac during training. In the present study, we examine the effect of different intensity of treadmill training on cardiac hypertrophy process and autophagy related gene expression in male wistar rats.

Methods

Three different intensities of treadmill training were conducted on 15 male wistar rats (Low Intensity: 10 m/minute, Moderate Intensity: 20 m/minute, and High Intensity: 30 m/minute) compared to 5 sedentary rats as control. Training duration was 30 min per day, frequency was 5 days per week, during 8 weeks period. Heart weight and heart weight/body weight ratio were measured after the experiments. Left ventricle myocardium was taken for microscopic analysis with HE staining. mRNA was extracted from left ventricle myocardium for examining αMHC and autophagy related gene expression (PIK3CA, mTOR, LC3, p62) using semi quantitative PCR.

Results

We observed that altered training intensity might stimulate cardiac hypertrophy process. MI and HI training increased heart weight and heart weight/body weight ratio. This finding is supported by microscopic result in which cardiac hypertrophy was found in MI and HI, with focal fibrosis in HI, and increased αMHC gene expression in MI (p < 0.05) and HI (p = 0.076). We also observed decreased PIK3CA (LI 0.8 fold, MI 0.9 fold), mTOR (LI 0.9 fold, MI 0.9 fold), LC3 (LI 0.9 fold, MI 0.8 fold, HI 0.8 fold), and p62 (LI 0.8 fold, MI 0.9 fold) compared to control. Interestingly, we found increased mTOR (HI 1.1 fold) and p62 (HI 1.1 fold) compared to control.

Conclusion

Training with different intensity creates different cardiac hypertrophy process based on heart weight and heart weight/body weight ratio, microscopic examination and autophagy related gene expression.

Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health

Obesity is a complex disease that affects whole body metabolism and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Physical exercise results in numerous health benefits and is an important tool to combat obesity and its co-morbidities, including cardiovascular disease. Exercise prevents both the onset and development of cardiovascular disease and is an important therapeutic tool to improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease. Some benefits of exercise include enhanced mitochondrial function, restoration and improvement of vasculature, and the release of myokines from skeletal muscle that preserve or augment cardiovascular function. In this review we will discuss the mechanisms through which exercise promotes cardiovascular health.

Chronic neuromuscular electrical stimulation improves muscle mass and insulin sensitivity in a mouse model

Muscle wasting reduces functional capacity and increases cardiometabolic risk in chronic disease. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the lower limb has been shown to reverse muscle wasting in these patients but its effect on cardiometabolic health is unclear. We investigated a mouse model of in-vivo non-invasive chronic NMES on muscle mass, insulin sensitivity and arterial blood pressure (BP). Twenty-three C57BL6 mice underwent unilateral NMES or sham training over 2.5 weeks while anesthetized by isoflurane. Lower limb muscle mass and the stimulated limb to non-stimulated limb muscle mass ratio were compared between groups (NMES vs. sham). Insulin sensitivity was assessed 48 h after training using an intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (ITT) and BP was assessed before and after training using the tail-cuff technique. After training, muscle mass increased in NMES vs. sham (416 ± 6 vs. 397 ± 6 mg, p = 0.04) along with the ratio of muscle mass (+3 ± 1% vs. −1 ± 1% p = 0.04). Moreover, insulin sensitivity improved in NMES vs. sham (average blood glucose during ITT: 139.6 ± 8.5 vs. 161.9 ± 9.0 mg/dl blood, p = 0.01). BP was decreased in both groups, although it is likely that the effect of NMES on BP was dampened by repetitive anesthesia. The metabolic benefit of NMES training could be of great utility in patients with chronic disease. Moreover, the clinical-like mouse model of NMES is an effective tool to investigate the systemic effects of local muscle strengthening.

The Thermal Effects of Water Immersion on Health Outcomes: An Integrative Review

Hydrotherapy is widely used for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients, but it can also be applied to prevent diseases in healthy people. This review investigates the health effects of water immersion, a form of hydrotherapy, and the mechanisms by which the properties of water elicit such an effect. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL to identify relevant articles, of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. Various factors of water immersion were investigated in the 13 selected articles, including water temperature, immersion height, and application area. With respect to health effects, warm and cold water immersion affects the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems, respectively. Nine articles focused on the effects of warm water immersion, explaining its thermal effect in relation to changes in disease-related serum substance levels and hemodynamic changes. While the sample population in most studies comprised young adults, two articles applied partial water immersion to the legs of elderly subjects to assess its effect on sleep. Because the water immersion protocols applied in the 13 articles were inconsistent, the health benefits could not be clearly explained. However, we expect the present findings to be beneficial for providing research guidelines for studies on the application of water immersion.

The Effects of a Physically Active Lifestyle on the Health of Former Professional Football Players

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a physically active lifestyle affects the health of former football players. Sixty former professional football players aged 40⁻50 years and who ended their sports career at least ten years ago were recruited for the study and grouped into two groups based on their physical activity habits after their retirement. Health and lifestyle characteristics were collected through a questionnaire to obtain information about recreational physical activity levels, diseases, family medical history, smoking, alcohol intake and dietary habits. Furthermore, lung functions, blood parameters and cardiovascular health were evaluated. Our results showed that body weight and body fat percentage were significantly higher in retired footballers who had a sedentary lifestyle compared to those who were physically active. The absolute and predicted values for forced expiratory volume in one-second values were higher in the active group. Twelve retired athletes were found to have intraventricular conduction delay. The findings suggest that former footballers who have higher levels of physical activity have advanced body composition, respiratory functions and serum lipids compared to former footballers with less active lifestyles. It is recommended that former elite athletes should maintain physically active lifestyles to sustain their health and reduce the risk of disease and disability in the later years of life.

Rationale and design of Smart Walk: A randomized controlled pilot trial of a smartphone-delivered physical activity and cardiometabolic risk reduction intervention for African American women

BACKGROUND

African American (AA) women perform low levels of physical activity (PA) and are disproportionally burdened by cardiometabolic disease conditions when compared to White women and the U.S. population as a whole. These disparities emphasize the need for innovative and effective interventions to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among AA women. Recent evidence suggests that mobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Few studies have examined the efficacy of mHealth PA interventions among racial/ethnic minorities, including AA women. This represents a missed opportunity given the reported success of technology-delivered PA interventions in predominately White populations and the high use of technology among AA women.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the design, theoretical rationale, and cultural relevance of Smart Walk, a culturally sensitive smartphone-delivered PA intervention for AA women.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Smart Walk is an 8-month, randomized controlled pilot trial designed to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among AA women. Sixty physically inactive AA women with obesity will be assigned to receive either a culturally relevant intervention designed to increase PA (by targeting leisure-time, household chore/task-related, and occupational PA) or a culturally relevant wellness attention-matched control condition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4 months, and 8 months, and include feasibility and acceptability of the PA intervention and evaluation of effects on PA and cardiometabolic risk factors.

SUMMARY

Smart Walk represents a culturally relevant, theory-based approach to promote PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk in AA women.