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Related Experiment Videos

Endothelial function in post-menopausal former elite athletes.

Magnus Hagmar1, Maria J Eriksson, Caroline Lindholm

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. magnus.hagmar.725@student.ki.se

Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine : Official Journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine
|June 17, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Former elite athletes show better endothelial function post-menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) did not further improve this, suggesting long-term exercise benefits vascular health in women.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Sports Medicine
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Endothelial function is crucial for vascular health.
  • Menopause is associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Elite athletes may have distinct physiological adaptations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare endothelial function between postmenopausal former elite athletes and sedentary controls.
  • To investigate the impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on endothelial function in these groups.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 20 postmenopausal former elite endurance athletes and 19 sedentary controls.
  • Flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) measured as an indicator of endothelial function.
  • Analysis of blood lipids and body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry).

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Main Results:

  • Former elite athletes not using HRT exhibited significantly higher FMD than sedentary controls not using HRT.
  • HRT use diminished the difference in FMD between athletes and controls.
  • Former athletes had lower cholesterol, LDL, and fat mass, but these were not directly related to FMD.

Conclusions:

  • Postmenopausal former elite athletes possess enhanced endothelial function, particularly those not using HRT.
  • HRT appears to equalize endothelial function between former athletes and sedentary individuals.
  • Long-term strenuous exercise confers lasting benefits on endothelial function in postmenopausal women, with no additional advantage from HRT.