Vascular and Neuro-inflammatory Effects of Endurance Exercise Training in African Americans

African-Americans are at greater risk than Caucasians for developing hypertension,
cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal disease. This is likely related to arterial
dysfunction including greater arterial stiffness, and reduced microvascular reactivity of
resistance arteries in African-Americans. In addition, African-Americans have higher
levels of inflammatory markers, and a greater sympathoexcitatory response to various
stressors. This imbalance between sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic activation may
directly affect vascular function and potentiate a greater inflammatory response, further
altering key structural and functional properties of the vascular wall. The overall aim of
this proposal is to test the effects of endurance exercise training on arterial structure
and function, and to examine potential mechanisms producing changes in arterial structure
and function in young (18-35 years of age) African Americans when compared to Caucasians.
We will examine these effects at rest and following a high intensity (maximal cycle
ergometry) sympathoexcitation at both pre- and post-intervention time points, since
sympathoexcitation may elucidate changes not evident at rest. Because African-Americans
have higher levels of arterial stiffness, lower microvascular reactivity, greater responses
to sympathoexcitation, greater levels of inflammatory markers and greater vasoconstrictive
tone, we hypothesize that African-Americans will show differential responses to exercise
training and benefit more compared to a matched group of Caucasians.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Subjects in good health with no cardiovascular, metabolic, or inflammatory disease,
who do not use cardiovascular medications or antioxidant vitamin supplementation,
including use of anti-inflammatory (including aspirin) or steroidal substances in the
past 2 months will be inlcuded

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subjects who smoke, are severely obese (body mass index > 35 kg/m2), or who have
hypertension (blood pressure >140/90mmHg), diabetes (fasting glucose >110mg/dl),
hyperlipidemia, inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus
erythematosus, etc) or diagnosed cardiovascular disease including, coronary heart
disease, hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia or renal disease, will be excluded