High-Intensity Interval Training Effect on Microvascular Glycocalyx

A study on the effects of exercise on the endothelial glycocalyx has been released by researchers at the University Hospital Muenster, Germany, that used GlycoCheck. The study, titled Effects of high-intensity interval training on microvascular glycocalyx and associated microRNAs, looked at how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) affects the microvasculature including the endothelial glycocalyx.

This study evaluated the effects of physical fitness and physical exercise on microvascular parameters including glycocalyx thickness and associated miRNAs in young healthy adults. The researchers found that maximal exercise capacity was positively associated with microvascular glycocalyx thickness at baseline. Moreover, glycocalyx thickness increased with the improvement in exercise capacity postintervention, and the increase in glycocalyx thickness was predicted by acute elevation of miRNA-143 levels.

The researchers found significant associations of microvascular glycocalyx thickness and physical fitness in healthy young subjects. Furthermore, glycocalyx thickness and number of perfused vessels changed in accordance with exercise performance after a 4-wk HIIT program. To the best of their knowledge, data on long-term changes in microvascular structures, including glycocalyx thickness induced by HIIT as reported in the study, are so far missing from the literature. They conclude that HIIT may be performed to induce microvascular changes and increase glycocalyx thickness. While noninvasive sublingual microvascular imaging might be a useful tool to monitor vasculoprotective exercise effects, the herein-described associations with specific miRNA changes at the beginning of the training intervention might lead to the identification of circulating miRNAs to predict beneficial microvascular changes.

“This paper reinforces the need for people to engage in a regular exercise regimen to promote good health,” said Robert M. Long, co founder of GlycoCheck and CEO of Microvascular Health Solutions. “Combining exercise with a product like Endocalyx Pro, which is shown to improve microvascular health,can be especially impactful for athletes and anyone of any age who wants to improve their body’s performance.”

Dr. Hans Vink, the inventor and co-founder of GlycoCheck and one of the world’s leading researchers of endothelial glycocalyx health, said “as someone who runs for exercise and who has a high MicroVascular Health Score™, this study offers substantiation that high intensity cardio training improves the robustness of the glycocalyx.”