Relationships between maximal oxygen uptake and endothelial function in healthy male adults: a preliminary study

• Published in: Acta diabetologica 2013-04, Vol.50 (2), p.135-141
• Main Authors: Buscemi, Silvio, Canino, Baldassare, Batsis, John A., Buscemi, Chiara, Calandrino, Vincenzo, Mattina, Alessandro, Arnone, Mariangela, Caimi, Gregorio, Cerasola, Giovanni, Verga, Salvatore
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Body Composition - physiology; Body Fat Distribution; Body Mass Index; Brachial Artery - physiology; Cardiovascular disease; Carotid Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Endothelium, Vascular - physiology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Middle Aged; Original Article; Oxygen; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Regional Blood Flow - physiology; Risk factors; Ultrasonography; Vasodilation - physiology
• ISSN: 0940-5429; 1432-5233
• DOI: 10.1007/s00592-010-0229-x

Aerobic capacity, as indicated by maximal oxygen uptake ( V O 2 max) has an important role in contrasting the traditional cardiovascular risk factors and preventing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is known that endothelial function, measured as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, is strictly linked to atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk. However, the relationship between V O 2 max and FMD has not been fully investigated especially in healthy non-obese subjects. This preliminary study cross-sectionally investigated the relationship between V O 2 max and FMD in 22 non-obese, healthy sedentary male subjects. Dividing the cohort in two subgroups of 11 subjects each according to the median value of V O 2 max, the FMD was significantly lower in the subgroup with lower V O 2 max (mean ± sem: 7.1 ± 0.7 vs. 9.5 ± 0.8 %; P  = 0.035). Absolute V O 2 max (mL min −1 ) was significantly and independently correlated with body fat mass ( r  = −0.50; P  = 0.018) and with FMD ( r  = 0.44; P  = 0.039). This preliminary study suggests that maximal oxygen uptake is independently correlated with endothelial function in healthy non-obese adults. These results are also in agreement with the possibility that improving maximal oxygen uptake may have a favorable effect on endothelial function and vice versa.