Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 May;44(5):844-9. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31823f6887.
This study aimed to investigate localized and systemic effects of chronic exercise and inactivity on conduit artery remodeling in humans.
We recruited elite athletes engaged in predominantly lower limb (LL runners/cyclists, n = 10) or upper limb (UL canoe paddlers, n = 12) exercise and matched able-bodied, recreationally active, controls (C, n = 16). We also studied wheelchair controls (spinal cord injury, n = 9) and athletes (spinal cord injury, n = 1; spina bifida, n = 4). Carotid, brachial, and superficial femoral (SF) artery diameter and wall thickness were assessed using high-resolution ultrasound.
Brachial diameters were significantly larger in UL and wheelchair users (athletes and controls) compared with C (both P < 0.05). SF artery diameter in wheelchair controls was significantly smaller compared with the other groups, with LL athletes having significantly greater lumen diameter than controls (both P < 0.05). In all arteries, a lower wall thickness was found in able-bodied athletes compared with C, including wheelchair athletes compared with wheelchair controls (P < 0.001). In the SF artery, wall-to-lumen-ratio was significantly lower in able-bodied athletes and higher in wheelchair controls compared with able-bodied controls (P < 0.001). In the brachial and carotid arteries, able-bodied and wheelchair athletes demonstrated lower wall-to-lumen-ratio than less active wheelchair controls and able-bodied controls (P < 0.001).
These findings suggest that remodeling of the arterial wall occurs systemically in response to exercise training and is unrelated to exercise type in humans. Conversely, localized effects are evident with respect to the effect of exercise on arterial diameter. These findings have implications for our understanding of the effects of exercise on arterial structure and function in humans.
本研究旨在探究慢性运动和不运动对人体主要动静脉重塑的局部和全身影响。
我们招募了从事主要下肢（LL 跑步者/自行车手，n=10）或上肢（UL 划艇运动员，n=12）运动的精英运动员，并匹配了身体健全、有规律运动的对照组（C，n=16）。我们还研究了轮椅对照组（脊髓损伤，n=9）和运动员（脊髓损伤，n=1；脊柱裂，n=4）。使用高分辨率超声评估颈动脉、肱动脉和股浅动脉的直径和壁厚度。
与 C 相比，UL 和轮椅使用者（运动员和对照组）的肱动脉直径明显更大（均 P < 0.05）。与其他组相比，轮椅对照组的股浅动脉直径明显更小，LL 运动员的管腔直径明显大于对照组（均 P < 0.05）。在所有动脉中，与 C 相比，身体健全的运动员的壁厚度较低，包括与轮椅对照组相比，轮椅运动员的壁厚度较低（均 P < 0.001）。在股浅动脉中，与身体健全的对照组相比，身体健全的运动员和轮椅运动员的壁腔比显著较低，而与身体健全的对照组相比，轮椅对照组的壁腔比显著较高（均 P < 0.001）。在肱动脉和颈动脉中，与不活跃的轮椅对照组和身体健全的对照组相比，身体健全和轮椅运动员的壁腔比较低（均 P < 0.001）。
这些发现表明，动脉壁的重塑是全身性的，是对运动训练的反应，与人类的运动类型无关。相反，对于运动对动脉直径的影响，局部影响是明显的。这些发现对我们理解运动对人体动脉结构和功能的影响具有重要意义。
