#66 - Exercise and the cardiovascular system with Professor Ylva Hellsten
Oct 1, 2023
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Professor Ylva Hellsten, an authority on the effect of exercise on blood flow and cardiovascular function, discusses heart rate before exercise, blood flow during and after exercise, the impact of physical activity and aging on the cardiovascular system, the protective effects of exercise training, and the importance of doing enjoyable physical activity.
Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cardiovascular function, including blood flow and blood pressure.
Physical activity plays a crucial role in mitigating age-related changes in cardiovascular function.
Exercise training consistently lowers blood pressure through improved endothelial function, vasodilation, and reduced sympathetic vasoconstriction.
Deep dives
The benefits of exercise on cardiovascular function
Exercise research shows that regular physical activity has a positive impact on cardiovascular function, including blood flow and blood pressure. Exercise training can lead to a reduction in blood pressure within weeks to months. The mechanisms underlying this effect are related to improvements in vascular function, including endothelial function and smooth muscle cell sensitivity. Exercise also increases resistance to vasoconstriction and improves the muscle pump mechanism, which helps maintain blood pressure and promote blood flow. Various forms of exercise, including high-intensity aerobic interval training and moderate-intensity endurance training, have been shown to be effective in improving cardiovascular health. The key is to find an exercise routine that you enjoy and can sustain.
The role of physical activity in age-related changes
Physical activity plays a crucial role in mitigating age-related changes in cardiovascular function. Studies indicate that age-related decline in vascular responsiveness is partly due to inactivity rather than aging itself. Inactive aging leads to reduced vascular function, decreased elasticity in blood vessels, and impaired responsiveness to vasodilators. Regular exercise helps maintain healthy endothelial function, prevents blood vessels from becoming stiff, and preserves the ability of blood vessels to dilate in response to need. By staying active, individuals can counteract the negative impact of inactivity on cardiovascular health.
Effects of exercise training on blood pressure
Exercise training has been consistently shown to lower blood pressure through various mechanisms. Regular physical activity improves endothelial function and nitric oxide production, leading to vasodilation and lower resistance in blood vessels. Exercise also increases sensitivity to sympathetic activity and reduces sympathetic vasoconstriction, further decreasing blood pressure. Both endurance training and high-intensity aerobic interval training have been effective in lowering blood pressure. The key is to engage in regular exercise that suits individual preferences and abilities.
Importance of finding enjoyable and sustainable exercise
Finding an exercise routine that is enjoyable and sustainable is crucial for long-term adherence. Whether it's walking, cycling, dancing, or any other physical activity, regular movement and exercise have significant benefits for cardiovascular health. The focus should be on maintaining an active lifestyle and incorporating exercise into daily activities. The goal is to keep the cardiovascular system engaged and promote overall health and well-being.
Exercise training improves vascular function in women post-menopause
In a study focused on women, researchers found that vascular function deteriorates within three years of menopause due to the loss of estrogen, which has a protective effect on cardiovascular health. However, the study also showed that exercise training can improve vascular function even in post-menopausal women. Both pre- and post-menopausal women participated in a three-month spinning exercise training program, and significant improvements were observed in both groups. Interestingly, post-menopausal women showed even greater improvements in certain parameters. This study highlights the importance of exercise in maintaining and improving cardiovascular health, particularly for women during and after menopause.
Investigating endothelial cell function and the impact of exercise training
Researchers have been investigating endothelial cell function in relation to exercise training. They have developed a method to isolate endothelial cells from skeletal muscle biopsies, providing an opportunity to study their mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Through their studies, they have found that individuals with hypertension have higher ROS production in their endothelial cells, leading to reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. However, exercise training has shown to improve antioxidant capacity and reduce ROS production in endothelial cells. This research sheds light on the beneficial effects of exercise on endothelial function, which plays a crucial role in vascular health.
Dr Glenn McConell chats with Professor Ylva Hellsten from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. She is an authority on the effect of exercise on blood flow and cardiovascular function. We talked about heart rate before exercise and blood flow and blood pressure during and after exercise. She pointed out that muscle blood flow can increase by 100-fold during exercise! We discussed the effect of physical activity and aging/inactivity and menopause on the cardiovascular system. Also the protective effects of exercise training and the importance of doing the physical activity that you enjoy. A very interesting chat. Twitter: @CVgroupNEXS.
0:00. Introduction and how Ylva got into exercise research 5:15. Eccentric exercise induced muscle damage 6:45. Increases in heart rate before exercise 7:35. Increases in blood flow during exercise 11:15. Even passive movement of limbs can increase blood flow 13:15. How does exercise increase blood flow? 16:40. How much does muscle blood flow increase during exercise? 18:35. Achieving adequate blood pressure and blood flow during exercise 23:22. Are muscle capillaries all open even at rest? 29:18. What happens to blood flow after exercise? 31:00. Redundancy in regulation of blood flow during exercise 36:01. Closing off blood flow to some areas during exercise 38:24. Reduced blood pressure after exercise 42:12. Blood flow and blood pressure during resistance exercise 44:00. Blood flow restriction during contractions 46:28. Fainting with prolonged standing, especially in the heat 49:45. Exercise training reduces blood pressure 52:30. Aging/inactivity and the cardiovascular system 53:35. Optimal exercise to improve the cardiovascular system 1:02:15. Blood vessel function declines with age are partly inactivity 1:05:30. Menopause, exercise training and blood vessel function 1:13:27. Long term activity and blood vessel function 1:16:02. Effects of different types of exercise training 1:17:50. Large muscle mass exercise 1:19:30. Interval training/Do the physical activity that you enjoy 1:20:55. Different ways to measure blood flow 1:22:59. Blood flow during exercise in disease groups 1:27:02. Isolated blood vessel cells from exercised muscle 1:31:42. Ylva’s research: does she usually find what she expects? 1:35:12. Takeaway messages 1:38:21. Outro (9 seconds) Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all. The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research experience while at The University of Melbourne, Ball State University, Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and Victoria University. He has published over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and recently edited an Exercise Metabolism eBook written by world experts on 17 different topics (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94305-9). Connect with Inside Exercise and Glenn McConell at: Twitter: @Inside_exercise and @GlennMcConell1 Instagram: insideexercise Facebook: Glenn McConell LinkedIn: Glenn McConell https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-mcconell-83475460 ResearchGate: Glenn McConell Email: glenn.mcconell@gmail.com Subscribe to Inside exercise: Spotify: shorturl.at/tyGHL Apple Podcasts: shorturl.at/oFQRU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@insideexercise Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Google Podcasts: shorturl.at/bfhHI Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4025218 Not medical advice
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