Microvascular vasodilator plasticity following acute exercise

Endothelium-dependent vasodilation is reduced following acute exercise, or following high intraluminal pressure in isolated arterioles from sedentary adults, but not in arterioles from regular exercisers. The preserved vasodilation in arterioles from exercisers is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-dependent, whereas resting dilation is nitric oxide (NO)-dependent. We hypothesize chronic exercise elicits adaptations allowing for maintained vasodilation when NO bioavailability is reduced.