Physiological Mechanisms Driving Microcirculatory Enhancement: the Impact of Physical Activity

Physical activity induces many beneficial adaptive changes to blood vessel microcirculation, ultimately improving both health and exercise performance. This positions it an effective non-pharmacological therapeutic approach for the rehabilitation of patients with various chronic diseases. Understanding the impact of different types of physical activities on microcirculation and elucidating their physiological mechanisms is crucial for optimizing clinical practice.

A comprehensive literature search was performed across multiple databases including PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, and Web of Science. Following a rigorous screening process, 48 studies were selected for inclusion into the study.

Existing studies demonstrate that various forms of physical activity facilitate multiple positive adaptive changes at the microcirculation level. These include enhanced microvascular dilation-driven by endothelial cell factors and mechanical stress on blood vessels-as well as increased capillary density. The physiological mechanisms behind these improvements involve the neurohumoral regulation of endothelial cell factors and hormones, which are crucial for these positive effects. Physical activity also ameliorates inflammation markers and oxidative stress levels, upregulates the expression of silent information regulator 2 homolog 3, genes for hypoxia-inducible factors under hypoxic conditions, and induces favorable changes in multiple hemodynamic and hemorheological parameters. These structural and functional adaptations optimize myocardial blood flow regulation during exercise and improve both oxygen transport and utilization capacity, which are beneficial for the rehabilitation of chronic disease patients.

Our provides a reference for using physical activity as a non-pharmacological intervention for patients with chronic conditions. This framework includes recommendations on exercise types, intensity, frequency, and duration. Additionally, we summarize the physiological mechanisms through which physical activity improves microcirculation, which can inform clinical decision-making.