Cardiac-Vascular coupling: The impact of acute exercise on cardiovascular function

Exercise represents a potent stimulus for the cardiovascular function. Whilst long-term exercise training has been found to be beneficial for cardiovascular function and structure, several studies have demonstrated that acute exercise can result in impairment in both cardiac1 and vascular function.2 This acute cardiovascular response to exercise may represent a transient period of increased cardiovascular risk. Alternatively, it may be an underlying stimulus for long-term adaptations to exercise training. Although cardiac and vascular function are typically examined in isolation, it is important to understand that cardiac function is influenced by vascular function and vice versa. Therefore, the primary goal of this research is to examine the complex relationship between cardiac and vascular function and examine how this is affected by acute exercise. This project will involve ultrasound techniques including, vascular sonography for measures of artery function and structure, measures of arterial stiffness as well as novel and conventional echocardiographic indices of ventricular and atrial structure and function.