Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

01-01-2017 | Original Article

Arterial stiffness in young adult swimmers

Authors: Masato Nishiwaki, Keisuke Takahara, Naoyuki Matsumoto

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

Purpose

Habitual Aerobic exercise reduces arterial stiffness, but effects of habitual swimming on arterial stiffness are not yet fully understood. Swimming can also increase systolic blood pressure (BP) in normotensive individuals. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate arterial stiffness in young adult swimmers after considering the influence of BP.

Methods

Participants comprised 41 men (18–21 years), including 15 untrained controls (C), 11 competitive cyclists (aerobic-trained athletes; A), and 15 competitive swimmers (S). Arterial stiffness was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV), heart-ankle pulse-wave velocity (haPWV), and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). CAVI is the measurement of arterial stiffness that is theoretically adjusted by BP.

Results

Although physical characteristics and handgrip strength did not differ between groups, peak oxygen uptake was significantly greater in A and S than in C. A tendency towards higher systolic BP and a significantly higher pulse pressure were found in S as compared to C and A. Most importantly, baPWV was significantly lower in A than in C or S, and no significant difference in baPWV was observed between C and S (C, 1027 ± 25; A, 852 ± 23; S, 1032 ± 24 cm/s). No significant difference in haPWV was observed. However, CAVI was significantly lower in A and S than in C, and did not differ significantly between A and S (C, 5.8 ± 0.2; A, 5.1 ± 0.2; S, 5.3 ± 0.2 unit).

Conclusion

These findings indicate that arterial stiffness in young adult swimmers is lower than in age-matched sedentary controls and similar to land-based aerobic-exercise individuals, after considering the influences of BP.

American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand (1998) The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:975–991

Aspenes ST, Karlsen T (2012) Exercise-training intervention studies in competitive swimming. Sports Med 42:527–543CrossRefPubMed

Benetos A, Laurent S, Hoeks AP, Boutouyrie PH, Safar ME (1993) Arterial alterations with aging and high blood pressure. A noninvasive study of carotid and femoral arteries. Arterioscler Thromb 13:90–97CrossRefPubMed

Chen HH, Chen YL, Huang CY, Lee SD, Chen SC, Kuo CH (2010) Effects of one-year swimming training on blood pressure and insulin sensitivity in mild hypertensive young patients. Chin J Physiol 53:185–189CrossRefPubMed

Christensen K, Thinggaard M, McGue M, Rexbye H, Hjelmborg JV, Aviv A, Gunn D, van der Ouderaa F, Vaupel JW (2009) Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study. BMJ 339:b5262CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Cox KL, Burke V, Beilin LJ, Grove JR, Blanksby BA, Puddey IB (2006) Blood pressure rise with swimming versus walking in older women: the Sedentary Women Exercise Adherence Trial 2 (SWEAT 2). J Hypertens 24:307–314CrossRefPubMed

Darne B, Girerd X, Safar M, Cambien F, Guize L (1989) Pulsatile versus steady component of blood pressure: a cross-sectional analysis and a prospective analysis on cardiovascular mortality. Hypertension 13:392–400CrossRefPubMed

Fletcher GF, Blair SN, Blumenthal J, Caspersen C, Chaitman B, Epstein S, Falls H, Froelicher ES, Froelicher VF, Pina IL (1992) Statement on exercise. Benefits and recommendations for physical activity programs for all Americans. A statement for health professionals by the Committee on Exercise and Cardiac Rehabilitation of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart association. Circulation 86:340–344CrossRefPubMed

Frederiksen H, Hjelmborg J, Mortensen J, McGue M, Vaupel JW, Christensen K (2006) Age trajectories of grip strength: cross-sectional and longitudinal data among 8342 Danes aged 46 to 102. Ann Epidemiol 16:554–562CrossRefPubMed

Goto K, Ishii N, Mizuno A, Takamatsu K (2007) Enhancement of fat metabolism by repeated bouts of moderate endurance exercise. J Appl Physiol 102:2158–2164CrossRefPubMed

Jost J, Weiss M, Weicker H (1989) Comparison of sympatho-adrenergic regulation at rest and of the adrenoceptor system in swimmers, long-distance runners, weight lifters, wrestlers and untrained men. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 58:596–604CrossRefPubMed

Kakiyama T, Sugawara J, Murakami H, Maeda S, Kuno S, Matsuda M (2005) Effects of short-term endurance training on aortic distensibility in young males. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:267–271CrossRefPubMed

Katsura Y, Yoshikawa T, Ueda SY, Usui T, Sotobayashi D, Nakao H, Sakamoto H, Okumoto T, Fujimoto S (2010) Effects of aquatic exercise training using water-resistance equipment in elderly. Eur J Appl Physiol 108:957–964CrossRefPubMed

Laurent S, Boutouyrie P (2007) Recent advances in arterial stiffness and wave reflection in human hypertension. Hypertension 49:1202–1206CrossRefPubMed

Leenders M, Verdijk LB, Van der Hoeven L, Van Kranenburg J, Nilwik R, Wodzig WK, Senden JM, Keizer HA, Van Loon LJ (2013) Protein supplementation during resistance-type exercise training in the elderly. Med Sci Sports Exerc 45:542–552CrossRefPubMed

Madhavan S, Ooi WL, Cohen H, Alderman MH (1994) Relation of pulse pressure and blood pressure reduction to the incidence of myocardial infarction. Hypertension 23:395–401CrossRefPubMed

Marconnet P, Slaoui F, Gastaud M, Ardisson JL (1984) Preexercise, exercise and early post exercise arterial blood pressure in young competitive swimmers versus non swimmers. J Sports Med Phys Fit 24:252–258

Miyachi M (2013) Effects of resistance training on arterial stiffness: a meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 47:393–396CrossRefPubMed

Miyatani M, Yang P, Thomas S, Craven BC, Oh P (2012) Bioelectrical impedance and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry assessments of changes in body composition following exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Obes 2012:953060CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference Statement (1994) Bioelectrical impedance analysis in body composition measurement, p 12–14

Nishiwaki M, Kurobe K, Kiuchi A, Nakamura T, Matsumoto N (2014) Sex differences in flexibility-arterial stiffness relationship and its application for diagnosis of arterial stiffening: a cross-sectional observational study. PLoS One 9:e113646CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Nishiwaki M, Yonemura H, Kurobe K, Matsumoto N (2015) Four weeks of regular static stretching reduces arterial stiffness in middle-aged men. SpringerPlus 4:555CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Nualnim N, Barnes JN, Tarumi T, Renzi CP, Tanaka H (2011) Comparison of central artery elasticity in swimmers, runners, and the sedentary. Am J Cardiol 107:783–787CrossRefPubMed

Ogita F, Hara M, Tabata I (1996) Anaerobic capacity and maximal oxygen uptake during arm stroke, leg kicking and whole body swimming. Acta Physiol Scand 157:435–441CrossRefPubMed

Ogita F, Onodera T, Tabata I (1999) Effect of hand paddles on anaerobic energy release during supramaximal swimming. Med Sci Sports Exerc 31:729–735CrossRefPubMed

Otsuki T, Maeda S, Iemitsu M, Saito Y, Tanimura Y, Ajisaka R, Miyauchi T (2007a) Relationship between arterial stiffness and athletic training programs in young adult men. Am J Hypertens 20:967–973CrossRefPubMed

Otsuki T, Maeda S, Iemitsu M, Saito Y, Tanimura Y, Ajisaka R, Miyauchi T (2007b) Vascular endothelium-derived factors and arterial stiffness in strength- and endurance-trained men. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 292:H786–H791CrossRefPubMed

Pickering TG, Hall JE, Appel LJ, Falkner BE, Graves J, Hill MN, Jones DW, Kurtz T, Sheps SG, Roccella EJ (2005) Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans and experimental animals: part 1: blood pressure measurement in humans: a statement for professionals from the Subcommittee of Professional and Public Education of the American Heart Association Council on High Blood Pressure Research. Circulation 111:697–716CrossRefPubMed

Safar ME, Levy BI, Struijker-Boudier H (2003) Current perspectives on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Circulation 107:2864–2869CrossRefPubMed

Sesso HD, Stampfer MJ, Rosner B, Hennekens CH, Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Glynn RJ (2000) Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure as predictors of cardiovascular disease risk in Men. Hypertension 36:801–807CrossRefPubMed

Sheldahl LM, Buskirk ER, Loomis JL, Hodgson JL, Mendez J (1982) Effects of exercise in cool water on body weight loss. Int J Obes 6:29–42PubMed

Shirai K, Hiruta N, Song M, Kurosu T, Suzuki J, Tomaru T, Miyashita Y, Saiki A, Takahashi M, Suzuki K, Takata M (2011) Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as a novel indicator of arterial stiffness: theory, evidence and perspectives. J Atheroscler Thromb 18:924–938CrossRefPubMed

Sugawara J, Komine H, Hayashi K, Yoshizawa M, Otsuki T, Shimojo N, Miyauchi T, Yokoi T, Maeda S, Tanaka H (2009) Reduction in alpha-adrenergic receptor-mediated vascular tone contributes to improved arterial compliance with endurance training. Int J Cardiol 135:346–352CrossRefPubMed

Tanaka H (2009) Swimming exercise: impact of aquatic exercise on cardiovascular health. Sports Med 39:377–387CrossRefPubMed

Tanaka H, Safar ME (2005) Influence of lifestyle modification on arterial stiffness and wave reflections. Am J Hypertens 18:137–144CrossRefPubMed

Tanaka H, Bassett DR Jr, Howley ET, Thompson DL, Ashraf M, Rawson FL (1997) Swimming training lowers the resting blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. J Hypertens 15:651–657CrossRefPubMed

Tanaka H, Dinenno FA, Monahan KD, Clevenger CM, DeSouza CA, Seals DR (2000) Aging, habitual exercise, and dynamic arterial compliance. Circulation 102:1270–1275CrossRefPubMed

Tanaka H, Munakata M, Kawano Y, Ohishi M, Shoji T, Sugawara J, Tomiyama H, Yamashina A, Yasuda H, Sawayama T, Ozawa T (2009) Comparison between carotid-femoral and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as measures of arterial stiffness. J Hypertens 27:2022–2027CrossRefPubMed

Utter AC, Nieman DC, Ward AN, Butterworth DE (1999) Use of the leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance method in assessing body-composition change in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 69:603–607PubMed

Vaitkevicius PV, Fleg JL, Engel JH, O’Connor FC, Wright JG, Lakatta LE, Yin FC, Lakatta EG (1993) Effects of age and aerobic capacity on arterial stiffness in healthy adults. Circulation 88:1456–1462CrossRefPubMed

World Hypertension League (1991) Physical exercise in the management of hypertension: a consensus statement by the World Hypertension League. J Hypertens 9:283–287CrossRef

Yamashina A, Tomiyama H, Takeda K, Tsuda H, Arai T, Hirose K, Koji Y, Hori S, Yamamoto Y (2002) Validity, reproducibility, and clinical significance of noninvasive brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity measurement. Hypertens Res 25:359–364CrossRefPubMed

Title: Arterial stiffness in young adult swimmers
Authors: Masato Nishiwaki
Keisuke Takahara
Naoyuki Matsumoto
Publication date: 01-01-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3505-9

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Arterial stiffness in young adult swimmers

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

Age differences in physiological responses to self-paced and incremental testing

Differentiating swelling and hypertrophy through indirect assessment of muscle damage in untrained men following repeated bouts of resistance exercise

Shear wave elastography reveals different degrees of passive and active stiffness of the neck extensor muscles

Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are not interchangeable to assess the Achilles tendon cross-sectional-area

Diurnal physiological and immunological responses to a 10-km run in highly trained athletes in an environmentally controlled condition of 6 °C

Intraocular pressure and cerebral oxygenation during prolonged headward acceleration