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

Rasmus Kopp Hansen, Afshin Samani, Uffe Laessoe, Aase Handberg, Maiken Mellergaard, Krystian Figlewski, Dick H J Thijssen, Lasse Gliemann, Ryan Godsk Larsen

Journal: European journal of applied physiology 2023;123(6):1241-1255

PMID: 36781425

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Abstract

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 ([Formula: see text]O), 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 [Formula: see text]O 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).

Address: Department of Health Science and Technology, Sport Sciences - Performance and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Selma Lagerløfs Vej 249, 9260, Gistrup, Denmark. [email protected].; Department of Research and Development, University College of Northern Jutland, Aalborg, Denmark. [email protected].; Department of Health Science and Technology, Sport Sciences - Performance and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Selma Lagerløfs Vej 249, 9260, Gistrup, Denmark.; Department of Research and Development, University College of Northern Jutland, Aalborg, Denmark.; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.; Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark, Viborg, Denmark.; Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.; Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.; The August Krogh Section for Human Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University Of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05146-y

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MeSH Terms: Adult, Humans, Male, Female, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Brachial Artery, Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Spinal Cord Injuries, Biomarkers