Peripheral Arterial Stiffness is Associated with Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Athletes

Increased central arterial stiffness is associated with decreased maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O₂max). Endurance exercise training improves arterial function throughout the whole body, but the relationship between central and peripheral arterial stiffness and V̇O₂max is unknown. The present study investigated the relationship between central and peripheral arterial stiffness and V̇O₂max in endurance-trained athletes. Twenty-one young male endurance-trained athletes and 12 sedentary controls were included in this study. Resting values for carotid-femoral velocity and femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity were obtained to assess central and peripheral arterial stiffness, respectively. V̇O₂max was obtained by incremental cycle ergometer testing. Both carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (P=0.019) and femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity (P=0.028) were lower in athletes than in controls. V̇O₂max was significantly higher in athletes compared to controls (P<0.001). Significant correlations were found between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and V̇O₂max (r=-0.510, P=0.018) and between femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity and V̇O₂max (r=-0.472, P=0.031) in athletes. However, no correlations were evident in controls. These results suggest that higher V̇O₂max is associated with lower peripheral arterial stiffness in addition to central arterial stiffness among endurance-trained athletes.