Exercise Training and Cardiometabolic Diseases: Focus on the Vascular System

Abstract

The regular practice of physical activity is a well-recommended strategy for the prevention and treatment of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Physical exercise prevents the progression of vascular diseases and reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exercise training also ameliorates vascular changes including endothelial dysfunction and arterial remodeling and stiffness, usually present in type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Common to these diseases is excessive oxidative stress, which plays an important role in the processes underlying vascular changes. At the vascular level, exercise training improves the redox state and consequently NO availability. Moreover, growing evidence indicates that other mediators such as prostanoids might be involved in the beneficial effects of exercise. The purpose of this review is to update recent findings describing the adaptation response induced by exercise in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, focusing more specifically on the beneficial effects of exercise in the vasculature and the underlying mechanisms.

Impact of exercise training on redox signaling in cardiovascular diseases

“…Over the last decades, exercise training has been widely recognized as an important non-pharmacological strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension (Blanco-Rivero et al, 2013;Pescatello et al, 2004;Roque et al, 2013b). Exercise decreases blood pressure due to a better aortic baroreceptor gain sensitivity and reduced vascular resistance (Brum et al, 2000;Cornelissen and Fagard, 2005).…”

Arterial stiffness and sedentary lifestyle: Role of oxidative stress

“…Extended periods of ET also has an impact on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [15], by lowering the expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) oxidase and stimulating radical scavenging systems that include copper/zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD), extracellular SOD, glutathione (GSH) peroxidase and GSH levels [15]. Thus, aerobic ET decreases oxidative stress by increasing the efficiency of the antioxidant system, and finally improving endothelial dysfunction [15,16].…”

The Role of Lifestyle Change for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes

“…Exercise training ameliorates adverse vascular changes including endothelial dysfunction and arterial remodeling and stiffness, changes that are typically present during diabetes. It improves the redox state through the absolute increase in nitric oxide concentrations, making nitric oxide bioavailable for the reduction of oxidative compounds found in cardiometabolic diseases [39,40]. Interestingly, the legacy effect of exercise (protective effect even after exercise is stopped) observed in the prevention of diabetes is not apparent in the prevention of CVD events [38].…”