Whole-Body Vibrations Do Not Elevate the Angiogenic Stimulus when Applied during Resistance Exercise

Knowledge about biological factors involved in exercise-induced angiogenesis is to date still scanty. The present study aimed to investigate the angiogenic stimulus of resistance exercise with and without superimposed whole-body vibrations. Responses to the exercise regimen before and after a 6-week training intervention were investigated in twenty-six healthy male subjects. Serum was collected at the initial and final exercise sessions and circulating levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2 and -9, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and endostatin were determined via ELISA. Furthermore, we studied the proliferative effect of serum-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro via BrdU-incorporation assay. It was found that circulating MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF and endostatin levels were significantly elevated (P,0.001) from resting levels after both exercise interventions, with higher post-exercise VEGF concentrations in the resistance exercise (RE) group compared to the resistive vibration exercise (RVE) group. Moreover, RE provoked increased endothelial cell proliferation in vitro and higher post-exercise circulating endostatin concentrations after 6 weeks of training. These effects were elusive in the RVE group. The present findings suggest that resistance exercise leads to a transient rise in circulating angiogenic factors and superimposing vibrations to this exercise type might not further trigger a potential signaling of angiogenic stimulation in skeletal muscle

Circulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 levels at rest and 2–75 min after exercise.

<p>Data points indicate mean serum concentrations (± SEM) at the initial and final exercise sessions of a 6-week training intervention (n = 13). (A) Acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) and resistive vibration exercise (RVE); (B) Long-term effects: In both groups, MMP-9 levels were increased over resting levels 2–15 min after exercise. Significant differences from resting levels (time effect): ^‡‡<i>P</i><0.01. There were no differences between initial and final exercises of the 6-week intervention in neither group.</p

Circulating endostatin levels at rest and 2–75 min after exercise.

<p>Data points indicate mean serum concentrations (± SEM) at the initial and final exercise sessions of a 6-week training intervention (n = 13). Endostatin levels were increased over resting levels 2-15 min after training (time effect): ^‡‡<i>P</i><0.01. (A) Acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) and resistive vibration exercise (RVE): the acute exercise effects did not differ between groups. (B) Long-term effects: circulating post-exercise endostatin levels in the RE group were higher at the final exercise compared to the initial exercise: ^#<i>P</i><0.05.</p

Anthropometric data of EVE subjects at baseline.

<p>BMI: Body Mass Index, CMJ: Counter movement jump. There was no difference between the two groups. Values are means ± SEM</p

Circulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 levels at rest and 2-75 min after exercise.

<p>Data points indicate mean serum concentrations (± SEM) at the initial and final exercise sessions of a 6-week training intervention (n = 13). Significant differences from resting levels (time effect): †<i>P</i><0.05, ††<i>P</i><0.001; significant differences from the initial exercise at the same time point ^#<i>P</i><0.05; significant differences between groups at the final exercise *<i>P</i><0.01. (A) Acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) and resistive vibration exercise (RVE): MMP-2 was elevated from resting levels only in the RE group. (B) Long-term effects: the acute response after the final exercise in the RVE group was elevated over the time course measured at the initial exercise and the RVE group depicted significantly higher MMP-2 levels at all time points compared to the RE group.</p

Resting levels of angiogenic markers measured at the initial and final exercise sessions of the 6-week training intervention.

<p>There were no differences in resting levels between the RE and RVE group for MMP-9, VEGF and Endostatin (<i>P</i>>0.68). After the 6-week training intervention, the RVE group had significantly higher MMP-2 levels compared to the RE group (^###<i>P</i><0.001). RE: resistance exercise, RVE resistive vibration exercise MMP: Matrix metalloproteinase, VEGF: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. Values are means ± SEM.</p