The risk of cardiovascular disease and associated skeletal muscle microvascular rarefaction is enhanced in women after menopause, yet knowledge about the angiogenic potential in ageing women is generally sparse. r Aged healthy and sedentary women were found to present a markedly impaired capacity for proliferation of skeletal muscle derived microvascular endothelial cells compared to young women. r Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in skeletal muscle myocytes and release of VEGF from myocytes tended to be lower in aged compared to young women. r The aged women did not show a detectable increase in skeletal muscle capillarization with 8 weeks of intense aerobic cycle training. r Combined, the findings indicate that aged women have a reduced potential for capillary growth in skeletal muscle which, with ageing, may lead to age-induced microvascular rarefaction.

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The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a period of aerobic high intensity training on central- and peripheral cardiovascular parameters in older post-menopausal women. Eleven healthy post-menopausal (>10 years after menopause) women (mean age: 64 years; BMI: 25.3 kg m−2) completed an 8-week period of supervised, high intensity cycle training, with sessions conducted three times per week. Before and after the training period maximal oxygen uptake, body composition, popliteal artery flow mediated dilation, exercise hyperemia, arterial blood pressure, and plasma lipids were assessed. In addition, levels of estrogen related receptor α (ERRα) and vasodilator enzymes were determined in muscle biopsy samples. Training induced an 18% increase (P < 0.001) in maximal oxygen uptake. Plasma High-density lipoprotein (HDL) was higher (P < 0.05) after than before the training period. Fat mass was reduced (4.9%; P < 0.01), whereas lean body mass was unaltered. Mean arterial blood pressure was unchanged (91 vs. 88 mmHg; P = 0.058) with training. Training did not induce a change in popliteal flow mediated dilation. Exercise hyperemia at submaximal exercise was lower (P < 0.01; 11 and 4.6% at 10 and 16 W, respectively) after compared to before training. Muscle ERRα (~1.7-fold; P < 0.01) and eNOS (~1.4-fold; P < 0.05) were higher after the training intervention. The current study demonstrates that, in older post-menopausal women, a period of aerobic high intensity training effectively increases maximal oxygen uptake and improves the cardiovascular health profile, without a parallel improvement in conduit artery function.