Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Post-Prandial Lipemia: Complete Protection Afforded by High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Exercise

Tyldum, Gjertrud Aunet; Schjerve, Inga Ekeberg; Tjønna, Arnt Erik; Kirkeby-Garstad, Idar; Stølen, Tomas O.; Richardson, Russell S.; Wisløff, Ulrik

doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.09.033

« Previous Next »Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume 53, Issue 2 , Pages 200-206, 13 January 2009

Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Post-Prandial Lipemia:

Complete Protection Afforded by High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Exercise

Gjertrud Aunet Tyldum, MSc
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Inga Ekeberg Schjerve, MSc
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Arnt Erik Tjønna, PhD
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Idar Kirkeby-Garstad, PhD
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
Tomas O. Stølen, MSc
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Russell S. Richardson, PhD
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Salt Lake City VAMC, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ulrik Wisløff, PhD
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Ulrik Wisløff, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Medical Technology Research Centre, Olav Kyrres Gate 3, N-7489 Trondheim, Norway

Received 4 June 2008; received in revised form 11 September 2008; accepted 12 September 2008.

Objectives

This study was designed to study the effect of exercise and a high-fat meal (HFM) on endothelial function.

Background

Post-prandial lipemia and exercise oppose each other in terms of cardiovascular risk; however, the mechanism of their interaction is not well understood.

Methods

Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in 8 healthy men before and after an HFM preceded (16 to 18 h) by rest, a single bout of continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CME), and high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE).

Results

Before the HFM, initial brachial artery diameters were similar in all trials (0.43 ± 0.04 cm), but after the HFM, basal diameter decreased only in the control (0.39 ± 0.03 cm) and CME (0.38 ± 0.04 cm) trials. Before the HFM, FMD/shear was improved by a single bout of CME (+20%, p < 0.01) and HIIE (+45%, p < 0.01; group differences, p < 0.01), with no effect in the control trial. After the HFM (30, 120, and 240 min), FMD decayed to a lesser extent with CME, but in a similar fashion to the control trial. In contrast, FMD in the HIIE trial remained elevated following the exercise despite a clear meal-induced lipemia. Although there were no correlations between vascular function and food-induced markers of cardiovascular risk, antioxidant status was strongly correlated with FMD (r = 0.9, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These findings reveal a clinically relevant protective effect of acute exercise on the vasculature that is clearly exercise intensity dependent and tightly related to exercise-induced antioxidant capacity. (Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Postprandial Lipemia; NCT00660491)

Key Words: interval training, endothelial function, high-fat meal

Abbreviations and Acronyms: CME, continuous moderate exercise, FMD, flow-mediated dilation, HFM, high-fat meal, HIIE, high-intensity interval exercise, HR_max, maximal heart rate, VO_2max, maximal oxygen uptake