Vascular Adaptation in Athletes of Different Events

Objective:“Athlete's heart”is now generally accepted, but the question of whether athletes exhibit characteristic vascular adaptations has not been specifically addressed.This research tested three different project athletes vascular system to understand the adaptation of artery structure and function to exercise.Methods:A total of 60 male participants from Beijing Sport University were included in the study.The endurance-trained athletes comprised 17 tennis players, 13 swimmers and 14 football players.The control group consisted of 16 physically inactive students.The test of pulse wave velocity (PWV) and brachial ankle index (ABI) were determined by the PWV tester (OMRON BP-203 RPE Ⅲ) .The ultrasound examination of arterial was performed with a high-resolution ultrasound scanner (model VIVID 7, GE) .Result:1) Measures IMT-to-lumen of common carotid artery and brachial artery in tennis players were thinner relative to controls (P<0.05) .The cross-sectional area of brachial artery was greater than control group and the predominant upper limb is greater than the opposite side. (P<0.05) .2) Measures IMT-to-lumen of all arteries in football players were thinner relative to controls (P<0.05) .The cross-sectional area of femoral artery was greater than control group and the predominant lower limb is greater than the opposite side. (P<0.05) .3) Measures IMT-to-lumen of all arteries in swimmers were thinner relative to controls (P<0.05) .The cross-sectional area of brachial arteries and femoral arteries were greater than control group. (P<0.05) .4) All indexes of PWV and ABI in exercise group and control group have no significant difference.Conclusion:The study suggests that“athlete's artery”has a systemic decreased wall thickness and a localized increased lumen area.Just as there is “athlete's heart”, these structural changes of artery are adaptations to the impact of exercise training.