Circulating endothelial and progenitor cells: Evidence from acute and long-term exercise effects

Table 4 Acute effects of exercise in healthy subjects

Subjects	n	Study group; age (yr)	Modality	Exercise	Results	Limitations	Ref.
Men	22	Healthy 54 ± 10	Symptom limited exercise test	Treadmill/bicycle	↑ EPC + ↑ CAC		[120]
Men	16	Healthy 25.1 ± 2.7	Bruce modified	Treadmill	↑ EPC + ↑ NO level		[121]
Men (n = 2); Women (n = 9)	11	Healthy 31 ± 16	1 h Spinning session	Bicycle 80% HRmax	↑ OEC	No accurate peak VO2 measurements, no gender differentiation	[122]
Men	18	Healthy (sportive) 32.4 ± 2.3	Ergometer test	Bicycle 70% IAT 240 min	↑ EPC	No control	[123]
Men	23	Endurance athletes 62 ± 1.6; Healthy low active 65 ± 1.5	Exercise test	Treadmill 75% ± 5% VO2max 30 min (5 min ramp-up + 25 min + 3 min cool down)	No change in both groups, no change between groups		[124]
Men; Women	25	GroupI(n = 11) 23.9 ± 1.4; Group II (n = 14) 36.2 ± 9.3	Symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise test	Bicycle ergometer: 40 W warm up; 20 W incremental test	↑ EPC	Small sample size	[125]
Men	25	Healthy	Running exercise	Protocol 1 30 min 100% IAT; Protocol 2 30 min 80% IAT; Protocol 3 10 min 80% IAT	Protocol 1 ↑ EPC; Protocol 2 ↑ EPC; Protocol 3 no change		[126]
Men	68	Marathon runners 57 ± 6	Marathon	Race	No change		[127]
Men	10	Marathon protocol (n = 9) 43.6 ± 11.6; Field test protocol (n = 8) 43.4 ± 10.9	Running exercise	Marathon protocol marathon race; Field test protocol 1500 m max speed	Marathon protocol no change; Field test protocol ↑ EPC		[128]
Men	20	Spartathlon runners (n = 10) 42.8 ± 1.4 Control sedentary (n = 10) 42.2 ± 10.4	Spartathlon	Exercise group race (246 km); Control group no intervention	Spartathlon runners ↑ EPC; Control no change		[129]

EPC: Endothelial progenitor cell; CAC: Circulating angiogenic cell; IAT: Individual anaerobic threshold.