Vascular adaptation to exercise: A systematic review and audit of female representation

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024 Feb 23. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00788.2023. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBiological sex is a salient factor in exercise-induced vascular adaptation. While a male bias is apparent in the literature, the methodological quality of available studies in females is not yet known. This systematic review with narrative synthesis aimed to assess available evidence of exercise interventions on endothelial function, measured using flow-mediated dilation, in otherwise healthy individuals and athletes. A standardized audit framework was applied to quantify the representation of female participants. Using a tiered grading system, studies that met best-practice recommendations for conducting physiological research in females were identified. A total of 210 studies in 5,997 participants were included, with 18% classified as athletes. The primary exercise mode and duration were aerobic (49%) and acute (61%), respectively. Despite 53% of studies (n = 111) including at least one female, female participants accounted for only 39% of the total study population but 49% of the athlete population. Majority (49%) of studies in females were conducted in premenopausal participants. No studies in naturally menstruating, hormonal contraceptive-users or in participants experiencing menstrual irregularities met all best-practice recommendations. Very few studies (~5%) achieved best-practice methodological guidelines for studying females and those that did were limited t...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: research