Circulating angiogenic cell response to sprint interval and continuous exercise

Introduction Although commonly understood as immune cells, certain T lymphocyte and monocyte subsets have angiogenic potential, contributing to blood vessel growth and repair. These cells are highly exercise responsive and may contribute to the cardiovascular benefits seen with exercise. Purpose To compare the effects of a single bout of continuous (CONTEX) and sprint interval exercise (SPRINT) on circulating angiogenic cells (CAC) in healthy recreationally active adults. Methods Twelve participants (aged 29 ± 2 years, BMI 25.5 ± 0.9 kg m − 2 , V ˙ O 2 peak 44.3 ± 1.8 ml kg − 1 min − 1 ; mean ± SEM) participated in the study. Participants completed a 45-min bout of CONTEX at 70% peak oxygen uptake and 6 × 20 s sprints on a cycle ergometer, in a counterbalanced design. Blood was sampled pre-, post-, 2 h and 24 h post-exercise for quantification of CAC subsets by whole blood flow cytometric analysis. Angiogenic T lymphocytes (T ANG ) and angiogenic Tie2-expressing monocytes (TEM) were identified by the expression of CD31 and Tie2, respectively. Results Circulating (cells µL − 1 ) CD3 + CD31 + T ANG increased immediately post-exercise in both trials ( p