Regulation of angiogenic genes and endothelial progenitor cells following resistance training in elderly men

Purpose Physical activity is recognized as an effective method for promoting angiogenesis and mitigating its age-related decline. Our study aims to investigate the acute and chronic effects of resistance training on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and angiogenic gene expression in the elderly. Methods Twenty-four untrained elderly males (aged 65–75 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to either a resistance training (RT) group or a control group, with 12 participants in each. Before and after the training period, participants underwent physical tests to evaluate mobility, balance, ability to transfer from sitting to standing, walking stability, gait speed, and fall risk. Additionally, blood samples were collected before and after the first training session (i.e., initial pre-test and initial post-test) and before and after the final training session (i.e., final pre-test and final post-test) to assess CD34+, VEGFR2+, Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Inhibitor (VEGI). Results The angiogenic gene HIF-1 increased from the first pre-test to the second pre-test (p = 0.03) and from the second pre-test to the second post-test (p = 0.02). The VEGF gene increased from the first pre-test to the second pre-test (p < 0.01) and from the first pre-test to the second post-test (p = 0.04). The SDF-1 gene increased in the second post-test compared to the first pre-test in the RT group (p = 0.02), but it decreased from the first pre-test to the second pre-test (p = 0.04). For EPCs, CD34 + levels increased from the first pre-test to the first post-test (p < 0.01) and from the first pre-test to the second post-test (p < 0.01). VEGFR2 + levels significantly increased in the second pre-test compared to the first post-test (p = 0.04), first pre-test (p < 0.01), and the second post-test (p < 0.01). Conclusion Resistance training performed with adequate intensity and volume can enhance angiogenesis in the elderly.