Mechanisms for the Benefits to Long Term Vascular Health Provided by Exercise

The vascular system responds favorably to exercise at any age. A large portion of the benefits of exercise derive from improvements to vascular function throughout the body, and physical fitness can be maintained further into old age than most people believe to be the case. The flip side of this point is that a sizable fraction of the declines of later life are a matter of disuse, people living a more sedentary life than is optimal for the health and function of muscles, heart, and brain. These the most energy-hungry tissues and those that see the worst outcomes from a decline in vascular function and consequently reduced delivery of nutrients and oxygen. Beyond the matter of blood supply, exercise is also protective against mechanisms involved in development of hypertension and atherosclerosis, as well as other conditions related to the vasculature. Overall, it is a good idea to maintain physical fitness for as long as possible in life, for these and other reasons. Exercise-induced hemodynamic changes lead to mechanical stress of the vascular wall, the release of circulating growth factors from the endothelium, and the release of exerkines from the exercising skeletal muscle and other organs. These three main adaptive stimuli lead to an increased activity of several molecular pathways within the vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells, culminating in a better vasodilation and vasoconstriction responsiveness, reduced arterial stiffness, arteriogenesis, and angio...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs