The 2020 Integrative Physiology of Exercise conference was held between November 9th to the 13th. Dr. Emily Heiston, a current post-doctoral fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University and former alumna of the AMP lab, was recognized for excellence in research. This work was part of her dissertation entitled: A single bout of exercise improves vascular insulin sensitivity in adults with obesity. The co-authors were Ms. Anna Ballantyne, as well as Drs. Zhenqi Liu, Sibylle Kranz and Steven Malin.
It’s known that exercise training reduces type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. A single bout of exercise is also recognized to raise metabolic insulin sensitivity (i.e. insulin promotes muscle glucose uptake). However, little is known about how exercise impacts the ability of insulin to regulate vascular blood flow. The intent of this study was to tease out if a single bout of exercise can raise metabolic vs. vascular insulin sensitivity. This has public health relevance for targeting blood vessel health and glucose control.
People with obesity who were considered at risk for chronic disease were recruited. Participants performed a rest period (control) and supervised exercise session the night before measurements of metabolic insulin sensitivity as well as assessment of large and small blood vessel blood flow. Aerobic fitness was also measured to improve accuracy at which exercise was prescribed (70% of VO2max and 400 kcals). The results highlight that 1 exercise bout improved not only metabolic insulin sensitivity but also large and small blood vessel responses to insulin. Importantly, it was the increase in small blood vessel function that related to improved ability of the body to take up glucose and store it for energy. These findings improve understandings of how exercise works to combat chronic disease, Currently, the lab is conducting follow up studies to address additional means by which a single bout of exercise impacts vascular insulin sensitivity.
