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Updated: May 13, 2026

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States
Published on: April 1, 2015
Beneficial effects of habitual resistance exercise training on coagulation and fibrinolytic responses
Brian R Kupchak1, Brent C Creighton, Juan C Aristizabal
1Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, 2095 Hillside Road, Unit 1110, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, United States. Brian.kupchak@uconn.edu
Background:
A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and thrombotic complications. While habitual endurance activity will reduce the risk of these adverse events, the influence of habitual resistance exercise is less clear. This study examined coagulation and fibrinolytic responses to an acute exhaustive resistance exercise test (AERET) in both resistance-trained (RT, min 2 yr, 5 men and 5 women) and untrained (UT, 5 men and 5 women) subjects.
Methods:
The AERET consisted of six sets of 10 repetitions of squats at 80% of 1-repetition maximum. Venous blood was collected pre-exercise, immediate post exercise (IP), and +15, +60, and +120 minutes post exercise.
Results:
Compared to UT, RT exhibited a lower capacity to form a clot as seen by activated partial Thromboplastin time (aPTT) integrated area under the curve over time (iAUC) levels, lower pre-exercise and 120 min post-exercise plasminogen activator inhibitor -1 (PAI-1) activity, and higher tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activity immediately post-exercise. There were no significant differences between RT and UT for fibrinogen, prothrombin fragment 1+2 (PTF 1+2), and thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT).
Conclusion:
These results suggest that habitual resistance exercise training may provide an enhanced fibrinolytic state.
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