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Background and Aims: GlycA is a relatively new biomarker for inflammation as well as cardiometabolic disease risk. However, the effect of exercise on GlycA is largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of regular exercise on the inflammatory marker GlycA across seven studies and 14 exercise interventions., Methods: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, specifically signal amplitudes originating from the N-acetyl methyl group protons of the N-acetylglucosamine residues on the glycan branches of glycoproteins, was used to quantify GlycA concentrations. GlycA was measured before and after completion of an exercise intervention in 1568 individuals across seven studies and 14 exercise interventions. Random effects inverse variance weighting models were used to pool effects across interventions., Results: Combined analysis of unadjusted data showed that regular exercise significantly (p = 2 × 10 -6 ) reduced plasma GlycA (-8.26 ± 1.8 μmol/L). This reduction remained significant (-9.12 ± 1.9 μmol/L, p = 1.22 × 10 -6 ) following adjustment for age, sex, race, baseline BMI, and baseline GlycA. Changes in GlycA were correlated with changes in traditional inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen, however, these correlations were relatively weak (range r: 0.21-0.38, p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Regular exercise significantly reduced plasma GlycA across 14 different exercise interventions despite differences in exercise programs and study populations. The current study provides a greater understanding of the use of exercise as a potential therapy for the reduction of systemic inflammation. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind the exercise-related reductions in GlycA., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The goal was to examine lipoprotein subclass responses to regular exercise as measured in 10 exercise interventions derived from six cohorts., Methods: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify average particle size, total and subclass concentrations of very low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein particles (VLDL-P, LDL-P, and HDL-P, respectively) before and after an exercise intervention in 1555 adults from six studies, encompassing 10 distinct exercise programs: APOE (N = 106), DREW (N = 385), GERS (N = 79), HERITAGE (N = 715), STRRIDE I (N = 168) and II (N = 102). Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to evaluate the overall estimate of mean change across the unadjusted and adjusted mean change values from each exercise group., Results: Meta-analysis of unadjusted data showed that regular exercise induced significant decreases in the concentration of large VLDL-P, small LDL-P, and medium HDL-P and mean VLDL-P size, with significant increases in the concentration of large LDL-P and large HDL-P and mean LDL-P size. These changes remained significant in meta-analysis with adjustment for age, sex, race, baseline body mass index, and baseline trait value., Conclusions: Despite differences in exercise programs and study populations, regular exercise produced putatively beneficial changes in the lipoprotein subclass profile across 10 exercise interventions. Further research is needed to examine how exercise-induced changes in lipoprotein subclasses may be associated with (concomitant changes in) cardiovascular disease risk., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: African American men have stiffer large central arteries and impaired dilation of smaller peripheral arteries when compared to their white peers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of resistance exercise training (RT) on vascular function and central blood pressure (BP) in young (22 years) African American and white men., Methods: Vascular and hemodynamic measures were made in 19 African American and 18 white men at baseline and following 6-weeks of RT. Carotid BP and carotid/brachial artery beta-stiffness were measured by tonometry and ultrasonography, respectively. Aortic BP was measured by radial artery tonometry and a generalized transfer function. Aortic stiffness was measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV). Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by strain-gauge plethysmography before and during reactive hyperemia (RH) induced by 5-min of brachial artery occlusion., Results: There were similar reductions in central BP and similar increases in FBF-RH in both African American and white men following RT (p<0.05). There were no changes in brachial systolic BP, carotid stiffness, and aortic PWV in either group (p>0.05). There was an increase in brachial stiffness in African American but not white men following RT (p<0.05)., Conclusions: RT led to reductions in central BP and increases in microvascular endothelial function with no effect on central artery stiffness in both groups of young men. RT increased brachial stiffness in African American men. Measurement of conventional brachial BP does not capture the central hemodynamic and vascular response to exercise training due to disparate racial changes in regional vascular properties.