Sexual Function Is an Indicator of Central Arterial Stiffness and Arterial Stiffness Gradient in Japanese Adult Men

BackgroundAs arterial stiffness increases in the absence of subjective symptoms, a personal indicator that reflects increased risk of cardiovascular disease is necessary. Penile erection is regulated by vascular function, and atherosclerosis affects the penile artery earlier than it affects the coronary and carotid arteries. Therefore, we hypothesized that deterioration of erectile function could be a marker of increased risk for cardiovascular disease. To test our hypothesis, we assessed erectile function and arterial stiffness in a cross‐sectional study.Methods and ResultsCarotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), brachial‐ankle PWV, femoral‐ankle PWV, and arterial stiffness gradient (PWV ratio: carotid‐femoral PWV/femoral‐ankle PWV) were measured as indexes of central, systemic, and peripheral arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage, respectively, in 317 adult men. In addition, erectile function was assessed by using the questionnaire International Index of Erectile Function 5 (a descending score indicates worsening of erectile function). The scores of male sexual function were inversely correlated with carotid‐femoral PWV (rs=−0.41), brachial‐ankle PWV (rs=−0.35), femoral‐ankle PWV (rs=−0.19), and PWV ratio (rs=−0.33). Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that International Index of Erectile Function 5 scores were significantly associated with carotid‐femoral PWV (β=−0.22) and PWV ratio (β=−0.25), but not with brachial‐ankle PWV and femoral‐ankle PWV.ConclusionsOur results indicated that erectile function is independently associated with central arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage. These findings suggest that male sexual function could be an easily identifiable and independent marker of increased central arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage

Importance of “meal first” strategy and effective situations of supplement use in elite athletes: Japan high performance sport center position stand

The “meal first” strategy is traditionally recommended for athletes' conditioning. However, the importance of the “meal first” principle has not been detailly well documented in athletes' lives. Supplement use has recently become a common part of athletes' diets, but unmonitored supplement use can cause negative consequences, such as anti-doping violations and health issues. Therefore, this review summarizes how the “meal first” strategy and planned supplement use are important for enhancing athletes’ health and performance. We believe that the “meal first” strategy is beneficial in terms of the following aspects: (1) consumption of multi-nutrients and other functional components simultaneously; (2) positive effects on psychological well-being; (3) contribution to athletes' health by way of mastication; and (4) less risk for anti-doping violations. Before supplement use, we recommend that athletes first verify their basic factors (e.g., diet, training, and sleep), given that the benefits of supplements are examined and demonstrated with the control of those factors. Otherwise, athletes cannot obtain maximal benefits from the supplements. In contrast, there are situations in which supplements in athletes' lives can be advantageous, such as (1) nutrient deficiency due to ongoing dietary characteristics; (2) interruption of meals due to disease; (3) inaccessibility of quality food during athletic travel; (4) difficulty preparing food due to societal restrictions associated with disasters or infection outbreaks; (5) having a meal before, during, or after exercise is difficult; and (6) achieving targeted intake of performance-enhancing ingredients is not practical. In summary, we emphasize that the “meal first” strategy is recommended for athletes' conditioning, but there are several contexts when supplement use can be more useful in athletes' lives

Aerobic exercise training normalizes central blood pressure regulation after oral glucose loading in overweight/obese men

Central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) decreases after a meal or glucose challenge, but this response is impaired in obesity-related disorders. We investigated whether aerobic exercise training improves cSBP regulation during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in overweight/obese men. Thirteen overweight/obese men and six normal-weight men (as an alternative comparison instead of a no-exercise group) completed a 12-week aerobic exercise training program. Before and after the program, cSBP (i.e., radial second systolic pressure) was measured using an applanation tonometry at fasting and both 60 min and 120 min after 75 g glucose loading. Before and during the program, physical activity (PA) time was recorded using a tri-axial accelerometer. Pre-training, cSBP was significantly decreased with glucose loading in normal-weight men, while cSBP did not change in overweight/obese men. Post-training, a significant decrease in cSBP was observed in both groups following glucose loading. In addition, the increase in vigorous PA time during the exercise program was significantly correlated to the increase in area above the curve for cSBP during OGTT (demonstrating an improvement in the cSBP response to glucose loading) after the exercise program. These findings may provide novel insights into the role of PA in reducing the cardiovascular risk in obesity

Cerebral blood flow velocity is associated with endothelial function in men

Background and objective: Reduction in cerebral blood flow with aging leads to cognitive decline and brain atrophy. Cerebrovascular hemodynamics are associated with vascular function. However, little is known about endothelial function in relation to cerebral blood flow at rest. The present study aimed to examine the association between microvascular endothelial function and middle cerebral blood flow. Material and methods: This study involved 60 healthy middle-aged and elderly men. The microvascular endothelial function was measured via digital reactive hyperemia index using pulse amplitude tonometry, and the mean middle cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebrovascular conductance were measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Results and conclusions: Reactive hyperemia index was significantly correlated with the mean middle cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebrovascular conductance. Multiple regression analysis further indicated that the correlation was significant after adjustment of covariates, such as age, body mass index, smoking status, medication history, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness. Further, Reactive hyperemia index was found to be a significant independent determinant of the mean middle cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebrovascular conductance. The present study demonstrated that vascular endothelial function is associated with cerebral blood flow and is an independent potential confounding factor in healthy middle-aged and older men

Effects of aerobic exercise training on circulating angiopoietin-like protein 2 in overweight and obese men: a pilot study

Background and objective: Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) is a pro-inflammatory adipokine that is upregulated in obesity and plays a role in the progression of cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes and atherosclerosis. Aerobic exercise is one of the effective strategies for reducing the levels of various pro-inflammatory biomolecules in obese individuals. However, the effects of aerobic exercise training on circulating ANGPTL2 levels in obese individuals remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise training on serum ANGPTL2 levels in overweight and obese men. Material and methods: Twenty overweight and obese men (age, 49 ±10 years; body mass index, 27.4 ± 2.2 kg/m2) completed a 12-week aerobic exercise training program (60–85% Heart ratem⁢a⁢x, 40–60 min/day, 3 days/week). Before and after the exercise program, serum ANGPTL2 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Daily step counts and the different physical activities based on the intensity were assessed using a triaxial accelerometer. Results: Serum ANGPTL2 levels were significantly decreased after the 12-week aerobic exercise training program ((3.0 ± 0.6) vs. (2.7 ± 0.7) ng/mL, P < 0.05). Daily step counts ((8362 ± 4551) vs. (10357 ± 3168) steps/day, P < 0.05) and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) time ((58 ± 45) vs. (76 ± 37) min/day, P < 0.001) were significantly increased after the exercise intervention. The changes in serum ANGPTL2 levels were negatively correlated with corresponding changes in daily step counts (partial r = –0.49, P < 0.05) and MVPA time (partial r = –0.47, P < 0.05) after adjustment for age and accelerometer wear time. Conlcusion: These findings collectively suggest that aerobic exercise training, in particular an increase in MVPA, can be associated with decreased circulating levels of ANGPTL2 in overweight and obese men

Association between duration of excessive weight and arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older adults

This study aims to evaluate the association between duration of overweight/obesity and arterial stiffness. In total, 103 men and women aged 45–68 years with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 were enrolled in this study. Duration of overweight/obesity was calculated for individuals with at least two consecutive BMI occurrences of ≥25 kg/m2 in the previous (5-year intervals from 20 years old) and present BMI information. Multiple regression analysis showed that carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, an index of arterial stiffness, was independently associated with the duration of overweight/obesity, but not with current degree of overweight/obesity

Relationship between serum testosterone concentration and microvascular endothelial function in Japanese men

Background: Both endothelial dysfunction and low circulating androgen levels predict cardiovascular disease in men. Endothelial function evaluation is commonly performed by measuring flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial artery. However, studies have suggested that compared with evaluation of large arteries, microvascular function evaluation of peripheral arteries is a better predictor of increased cardiovascular disease risks. Although circulating levels of androgens, such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), positively correlate with cardiovascular function, the association between circulating androgen levels and microvascular function is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether serum androgen levels correlate with microvascular endothelial function in men. Methods: The study included 105 Japanese men (age 59 ± 1 years) in whom we measured serum testosterone and DHEA-S levels. The reactive hyperemia index (RHI) determined by the Endo-PAT system (finger plethysmography) was used to evaluate microvascular endothelial function. Results: Serum testosterone levels were significantly correlated with the RHI (r = 0.32, P < 0.01). The association between serum testosterone levels and the RHI remained significant even after adjustment for confounders, including age and body mass index (β = 0.31, P < 0.01). Notably, serum DHEA-S levels were not associated with the RHI (r = 0.01, n.s.). Conclusion: This study showed that serum testosterone levels were positively correlated with microvascular endothelial function in men. These results suggest that endogenous testosterone level is one of the determinants of microvascular endothelial function and may become a biomarker reflecting lifestyle modifications-induced improvement in cardiovascular function in men

Effects of maslinic acid supplementation on exercise-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in water polo athletes: A randomized, double-blind, crossover, and placebo-controlled trial

Background Olive fruit is rich in bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoids, primarily maslinic acid (MA). Previous studies have demonstrated that MA exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects; however, it is unclear whether MA intake during training inhibits perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness in athletes. This study analyzed the effects of MA supplementation during athletic training on perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness. Methods This randomized, double-blind, cross-over, and placebo-controlled trial involved 12 young, healthy male water polo athletes. After daily training for seven days, they ingested either olive fruit extract, containing 60 mg/day MA, or a placebo. We measured perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness during the intervention using a visual analog scale and inflammatory and oxidative stress-related proteins. Results Perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness and the area under the curve during the training period were significantly lower (main effect of MA; P < 0.05) following MA supplementation than those for the placebo. MA supplementation during training lowered perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness by decreasing inflammatory factors in water polo athletes. Additionally, we examined the detailed mechanism of MA, added the participant’s serum to the culture medium at a 10% concentration to determine inflammation- and oxidative stress-related intracellular signals. Skeletal muscle cells (C2C12) cultured with MA-conditioned serum before and after intervention also suppressed expression of inflammation and oxidative stress-related proteins. Conclusion These findings suggest that MA intake not only reduces perceptual fatigue and muscle soreness but also decreases inflammation and oxidative stress in the blood and skeletal muscle