Preventive effect of long-term aerobic exercise on thrombus formation in rat cerebral vessels

The antithrombotic effect of long-term aerobic exercise was studied in rat cerebral blood vessels using an argon (Ar) laser-induced thrombosis technique. Rats were subjected to treadmill exercise at 70% VO2max for 2 and 4 months. The number of laser irradiations required to form an occlusive thrombus in the exercise group was significantly increased compared to that of the control group after 2- and 4-month training periods. Fibrinolytic activity increased just after exercise but there was no significant difference between the exercise and the control group in the resting state after a period of exercising conditioning. The results demonstrated that long-term aerobic exercise decreased the thrombotic tendency in rat cerebral vessels and suggested that such exercise might have a protective effect on these blood vessels.