Over the last few years, researchers have been focusing on finding new ways people can improve their cardiometabolic health — the health of their cardiovascular and metabolic systems and how they interact.
For example, how efficiently your blood vessels deliver oxygenated blood throughout your body can affect how well your mitochondria burn fuel and produce energy. A well-functioning cardiovascular system also affects the ability of hormones and blood sugar to reach their targets and of the body to remove waste.
Past studies show that people with poor cardiometabolic health may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and steatotic liver disease.
The good news is that you can improve your cardiometabolic health by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a healthy diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, getting enough quality sleep, managing stress, and being physically active.
Now, a new study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine adds to our understanding of cardiometabolic health and exercise.
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Researchers found that more intensive exercises, such as sprint intervals, may be more effective at improving cardiometabolic health markers than moderate-intensity exercises, like consistent cycling.
In a clinical trial with 19 healthy young men, researchers evaluated the immediate blood protein response to either 90 minutes of moderate continuous cycling or six sets of 30-second all-out sprint intervals.
To assess long-term health implications, they then cross-referenced these exercise-activated proteins with medical records from over 53,000 UK Biobank participants, finding that many sprint-induced proteins linked directly to a lower risk of heart and metabolic disease.
“Both forms of exercise (sprint-interval and moderate intensity) are growing in popularity and are regularly used in clinical and general populations,” Paul Cohen, MD, PhD, Albert Resnick, MD, Associate Professor and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism at The Rockefeller University in New York City, and senior author of this study, told Medical News Today.
“It is important that we better understand the metabolic responses stimulated by different exercise intensities to help inform how we design and implement exercise programs,” he said.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that sprint interval training caused changes in more than 200 metabolites — small molecules produced or used during metabolism — and led to an immediate increase in the levels of proteins needed for blood vessel growth, tissue remodeling, and hormonal signaling.
“Exercise stimulates the release of proteins and metabolites into the circulation to communicate across diverse organs,” Luke Olsen, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism at The Rockefeller University in New York City, and first author of this study, explained to MNT. “For example, a contracting muscle might secrete a protein into the circulation to notify the liver that it needs more fuel (sugar or fat). These fuels are then released by the liver and taken up by the muscle, permitting continued muscle contraction.”
“Such crosstalk is instrumental to coordinating the body’s response to exercise and, ultimately, driving its health benefits,” Olsen continued. “Our findings highlight just how extensive and rapid this communication can be following high intensity exercise.”
Additionally, scientists discovered that of the 33 proteins associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, sprinting altered 32, while only 3 were altered during moderate-intensity exercise.
“We know that high intensity exercise, such as sprinting, promotes body-wide adaptations that can be metabolically beneficial,” Cohen said. “However, what mediates these changes has remained largely unclear. Our data pinpoint specific proteins that could contribute to these beneficial effects and provide a potential link between high intensity exercise and improved cardiometabolic health.”
MNT spoke with Socrates Kakoulides, MD, cardiologist and chief imaging officer of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care, part of Baptist Health South Florida, who was not involved in this study.
Kakoulides commented that his first reaction to these findings was that this is a fascinating look at how strongly the body can respond to exercise intensity.
“We have known for a long time that physical activity is one of the most important things people can do to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, but this study helps us better understand what may be happening at a molecular level,” he explained.
“What stood out to me was how quickly short bursts of very intense exercise changed proteins and metabolites circulating in the bloodstream. Those signals appear to affect communication between different tissues and organs and may help explain some of the cardiometabolic benefits we associate with vigorous exercise.”
— Socrates Kakoulides, MD
“At the same time, I would not want patients to interpret these findings as meaning that a few minutes of sprinting replaces the benefits of regular exercise,” Kakoulides continued.
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“This study primarily examined molecular responses to different types and intensities of exercise. It gives us important clues about the biology, but we still need additional research to understand how these changes translate into long-term outcomes such as reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, or obesity,” he added.
MNT also spoke with Joshua Scott, MD, primary care sports medicine physician and co-director of Non-operative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Los Angeles, who likewise was not involved in this study.
Scott said that while sprinting may have triggered changes in many metabolites, leading to a surge in proteins involved in blood vessel growth, tissue remodeling, and hormone signaling, the question is how that translates into real-life scenarios that help our patients live a happier, healthier lifestyle.
“I think the question is whether or not those translate to real-world changes,” he continued. “We know that some of the metabolites are associated with better cardiovascular health, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders, but we really need to study that in multiple different individuals and translate that to longer life and a healthier lifestyle over time.”
Obviously, sprinting is not for everyone. Kakoulides said the most important message is that you do not have to sprint to benefit from exercise.
“Moderate physical activity remains extremely valuable for cardiovascular and metabolic health,” he said.
“For someone who is already exercising and has been medically cleared to increase the intensity, one practical approach may be to incorporate brief periods of greater effort into an activity they already enjoy. That could mean walking briskly or uphill for a short period and then returning to a comfortable pace, increasing resistance or speed briefly on a stationary bicycle, or adding faster intervals while swimming or using an elliptical machine.”
— Socrates Kakoulides, MD
Scott agreed: “I think for those of us that are exercising on a regular basis, mixing things up and doing more higher intensity exercises, we know has some benefit even if you’re not able to sprint. Higher intensity exercises have been shown to be more helpful than doing just low to moderate intensity exercises, but obviously that needs to be done under the direction of a healthcare professional.”
“Ultimately, the best exercise program is one that is safe, sustainable, and performed consistently,” Kakoulides added. “Adding intensity can be another tool, but it does not replace the importance of regular movement, aerobic exercise, and strength training.”
