TY - JOUR

T1 - Rowing exercise increases cardiorespiratory fitness and brachial artery diameter but not traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in spinal cord-injured humans

AU - Hansen, Rasmus Kopp

AU - Samani, Afshin

AU - Laessoe, Uffe

AU - Handberg, Aase

AU - Mellergaard, Maiken

AU - Figlewski, Krystian

AU - Thijssen, Dick H J

AU - Gliemann, Lasse

AU - Larsen, Ryan Godsk

N1 - CURIS 2023 NEXS 050

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Purpose: This study assessed the effects of upper-body rowing exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, traditional cardiometabolic risk factors, and vascular health in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods: Seventeen male and female adults with chronic (> 1 yr) motor-complete and incomplete SCI (level of injury: C4-L3) were randomized to control (CON, n = 9) or exercise (UBROW, n = 8). Participants in UBROW performed 12-week, 3 weekly sessions of 30-min upper-body ergometer rowing exercise, complying with current exercise guidelines for SCI. Cardiorespiratory fitness (V˙O2peak), traditional risk factors (lipid profile, glycemic control) as well as inflammatory and vascular endothelium-derived biomarkers (derived from fasting blood samples) were measured before and after 6 (6W) and 12 weeks (12W). Brachial artery resting diameter and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were determined by ultrasound as exploratory outcomes.Results: UBROW increased V˙O2peak from baseline (15.1 ± 5.1 mL/kg/min; mean ± SD) to 6W (16.5 ± 5.3; P < 0.01) and 12W (17.5 ± 6.1; P < 0.01). UBROW increased resting brachial artery diameter from baseline (4.80 ± 0.72 mm) to 12W (5.08 ± 0.91; P < 0.01), with no changes at 6W (4.96 ± 0.91), and no changes in CON. There were no significant time-by-group interactions in traditional cardiometabolic blood biomarkers, or in unadjusted or baseline diameter corrected FMD. Explorative analyses revealed inverse correlations between changes (∆12W-baseline) in endothelin-1 and changes in resting diameter (r = − 0.56) and FMD% (r = − 0.60), both P < 0.05.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that 12 weeks of upper-body rowing complying with current exercise guidelines for SCI improves cardiorespiratory fitness and increases resting brachial artery diameter. In contrast, the exercise intervention had no or only modest effects on traditional cardiometabolic risk factors. The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (N-20190053, May 15, 2020).

AB - Purpose: This study assessed the effects of upper-body rowing exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, traditional cardiometabolic risk factors, and vascular health in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods: Seventeen male and female adults with chronic (> 1 yr) motor-complete and incomplete SCI (level of injury: C4-L3) were randomized to control (CON, n = 9) or exercise (UBROW, n = 8). Participants in UBROW performed 12-week, 3 weekly sessions of 30-min upper-body ergometer rowing exercise, complying with current exercise guidelines for SCI. Cardiorespiratory fitness (V˙O2peak), traditional risk factors (lipid profile, glycemic control) as well as inflammatory and vascular endothelium-derived biomarkers (derived from fasting blood samples) were measured before and after 6 (6W) and 12 weeks (12W). Brachial artery resting diameter and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were determined by ultrasound as exploratory outcomes.Results: UBROW increased V˙O2peak from baseline (15.1 ± 5.1 mL/kg/min; mean ± SD) to 6W (16.5 ± 5.3; P < 0.01) and 12W (17.5 ± 6.1; P < 0.01). UBROW increased resting brachial artery diameter from baseline (4.80 ± 0.72 mm) to 12W (5.08 ± 0.91; P < 0.01), with no changes at 6W (4.96 ± 0.91), and no changes in CON. There were no significant time-by-group interactions in traditional cardiometabolic blood biomarkers, or in unadjusted or baseline diameter corrected FMD. Explorative analyses revealed inverse correlations between changes (∆12W-baseline) in endothelin-1 and changes in resting diameter (r = − 0.56) and FMD% (r = − 0.60), both P < 0.05.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that 12 weeks of upper-body rowing complying with current exercise guidelines for SCI improves cardiorespiratory fitness and increases resting brachial artery diameter. In contrast, the exercise intervention had no or only modest effects on traditional cardiometabolic risk factors. The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (N-20190053, May 15, 2020).

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Cardiorespiratory fitness

KW - Exercise training

KW - Spinal cord injury

KW - Metabolic health

KW - Vascular function

KW - Flow-mediated dilation

U2 - 10.1007/s00421-023-05146-y

DO - 10.1007/s00421-023-05146-y

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36781425

VL - 123

SP - 1241

EP - 1255

JO - European Journal of Applied Physiology

JF - European Journal of Applied Physiology

SN - 1439-6319

IS - 6

ER -