Moderate exercise has well-founded benefits in cardiovascular health. However, increasing, yet controversial, evidence suggests that extremely trained athletes may not be protected from cardiovascular events as much as moderately trained individuals. In our rodent model, intensive but not moderate training promoted aorta and carotid stiffening and elastic lamina ruptures, tunica media thickening of intramyocardial arteries, and an imbalance between vasoconstrictor and relaxation agents. An up-regulation of angiotensin-converter enzyme, miR-212, miR-132, and miR-146b might account for this deleterious remodeling. Most changes remained after a 4-week detraining. In conclusion, our results suggest that intensive training blunts the benefits of moderate exercise.
Keywords: CACS, coronary artery calcium score; CAD, coronary artery disease; CV, cardiovascular; MMP9, matrix metalloproteinase 9; NO, nitric oxide; Phe, phenylephrine; VSMC, vascular smooth muscle cell; atherosclerosis; coronary artery disease; endurance exercise; extreme sport; vascular stiffening.
© 2022 The Authors.