Effect of long-term endurance exercise on fibrinolytic markers

Effects of endurance training on the circadian rhythm of fibrinolysis in men and women

This randomized study compared the fibrinolytic circadian rhythm of healthy older men and older women (average age 66 +/- 5), before and after 6 months of endurance training versus stretching controls. Compared with men, women at baseline had similar rhythms for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) activity, but lower levels of total t-PA antigen. In men (N = 16), endurance training increased VO2max 15% (P < 0.001), while decreasing PAI-1 activity 37% (P = 0.034) and total t-PA antigen 18% (P = 0.0003) between midnight and 6 a.m., but did not affect t-PA activity. In women (N = 9), endurance training increased VO2max 18% (P = 0.003), and increased t-PA activity 20% (P = 0.027) and total t-PA antigen 55% (P = 0.007) between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., but had no effect on PAI-1 activity. After endurance training there were no significant differences in the fibrinolytic circadian rhythm of men versus women. Six months of nonaerobic stretching had no effect on VO2max or fibrinolysis in men (N = 11) or women (N = 8). This study indicates that potentially favorable changes occur in fibrinolytic factors after endurance training in older men and older women.

Regular physical activity and changes in risk factors for coronary heart disease: a nine months prospective study

This study reports the non-acute effects of a long-term training programme of increasing intensity on some cardiovascular risk factors and the interrelation between these risk factors. Twenty sedentary men and 14 sedentary women were trained 3 to 4 times a week for nine months. After 36 weeks all individuals ran a half marathon run. The Wmax, weight, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded. The concentrations of fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and lipoprotein(a) were measured. The training programme induced a median increase in Wmax of 12% in the male group (from 226 to 251.5 Watt) and of 18% in the female group (from 160 to 188.5 Watt). These increases inn Wmax did not correlate with any other property under investigation in this study. Blood pressure was not altered, but body weight and body mass index were significantly decreased in the male group (from 74.6 to 72.2 kg and from 23.1 to 22.0 kg/m2, respectively) at the end of the training programme and decreased non-significantly in the female group (from 63.0 to 60.7 kg and from 21.6 to 21.5 kg/m2, respectively). In the male group total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerols decreased significantly under the influence of the training sessions. Furthermore, in both groups, a great decrease in plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor concentrations was noticed: in men from 22.5.10(3) AU/l to 4.5.10(3) AU/l and in women from 18.7 x 10(3) AU/l to 5.1 x 10(3) AU/l. However, the changes in the lipid and fibrinolytic quantities were not correlated with each other. Initial total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure, while diastolic pressure was correlated to tissue plasminogen activator. Since tissue plasminogen activator also was significantly related to triacylglycerols, a trias existed between primary risk factors like blood pressure, lipid levels and fibrinolysis. In contrast, the changes in these properties under the influence of physical training were not interrelated. Median serum lipoprotein(a) concentrations were significantly increased in both men and women five days before the half marathon run: from 32 mg/l to 39 mg/l in men, and from 65 mg/l to 125.5 mg/l in women. Concomitantly, median fibrinogen concentrations were significantly elevated in men (from 2.32 g/l to 3.10 g/l) and non-significantly in women (from 2.62 g/l to 2.93 g/l), although no correlation existed between the changes in these properties. In conclusion, the nine months exercise programme increased the aerobic fitness in both men and women as indicated by the Wmax increase. This improvement coincided but was not correlated with beneficial changes in several anthropometric, lipid and fibrinolytic properties. Improvement in the risk factors under investigation was more pronounced in men than in women. The changes in lipid and haemostasis properties did not correlate with each other. The increases in lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen concentrations, both atherogenic indices, could actually present a normal physiological response to the physical strain of exercise training of increasing workload.