Abstract
Purpose
Acute or regular stretching exercises reduce arterial stiffness, but whether stretching exercises per se can reduce central arterial stiffness remain controversial. Recent studies have suggested that mechanical stimulation of arteries can directly modulate arterial stiffness, rather than causing systemic effects. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effects of trunk stretching using an exercise ball on central arterial stiffness and carotid arterial compliance.
Methods
Twelve healthy young adults participated in two different trials for 30 min each in random order on separate days: a resting and sitting trial (CON); and supervised passive trunk stretching using the exercise ball (EB). In EB, subjects preformed six types of passive trunk stretching using the exercise ball. At each site, passive stretching was held for 30 s followed by a 30-s relaxation period, repeated 5 times during the 30-min trial. In CON, subjects rested on a comfortable chair for 30 min.
Results
After the experiment, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was significantly reduced in EB, but not in CON (EB vs. CON: −4.5 ± 1.2% vs. 0.2 ± 0.9%; P < 0.05). Carotid arterial compliance was also significantly increased in EB, but not in CON (EB vs. CON: 38.4 ± 11.4% vs. 4.1 ± 9.4%; P < 0.05). Supplemental experiments also confirmed that stretching of lower extremity did not reduce carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate that acute, direct trunk stretching using an exercise ball reduces central arterial stiffness and increases carotid arterial compliance in young healthy men.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- ANCOVA:
-
Analysis of covariance
- baPWV:
-
Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- BP:
-
Blood pressure
- CAVI:
-
Cardio-ankle vascular index
- cfPWV:
-
Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity
- CON:
-
Control trial
- CV:
-
Coefficients of variation
- EB:
-
Exercise ball trial
- ES:
-
Effect size
- haPWV:
-
Heart-ankle pulse wave velocity
- HR:
-
Heart rate
- PP:
-
Pulse pressure
- PWV:
-
Pulse wave velocity
- SL:
-
Stretching of lower extremity
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Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank the study participants for their cooperation. This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI to MN (19K22830).
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Conceived and designed the study: ST, MI, and MN. Performed the study: HI, ST, NO, YT, AM, and MN. Analyzed the data: HI, ST, NO, YT, AM, MI, and MN. Wrote the paper: HI, ST, and MN. Interpreted the data: HI, ST, AM, MI, NM, MI, TN, and MN. All authors approved the final version of the article.
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The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation. Because Ethics Committee of our institution restricted for participant privacy protection, our raw data cannot be shared publicly via on-line network.
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Ikebe, H., Takiuchi, S., Oi, N. et al. Effects of trunk stretching using an exercise ball on central arterial stiffness and carotid arterial compliance. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 1205–1216 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04912-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04912-8