Walking Training Improves Systemic and Local Pathophysiological Processes in Intermittent Claudication

Objective This study examined the impact of submaximal walking training (WT) on local and systemic nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with intermittent claudication (IC). Methods The study employed a randomised, controlled, parallel group design and was performed in a single centre. Thirty-two men with IC were randomly allocated to two groups: WT (n = 16, two sessions/week, 15 cycles of two minutes walking at an intensity corresponding to the heart rate obtained at the pain threshold interspersed by two minutes of upright rest) and control (CO, n = 16, two sessions/week, 30 minutes of stretching). NO bioavailability (blood NO and muscle nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), redox homeostasis (catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD], lipid peroxidation [LPO] measured in blood and muscle), and inflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP], tumour necrosis factor α [TNF-α], intercellular adhesion molecules [ICAM], vascular adhesion molecules [VCAM] measured in blood and muscle) were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results WT statistically significantly increased blood NO, muscle eNOS, blood SOD and CAT, and muscle SOD and abolished the increase in circulating and muscle LPO observed in the CO group. WT decreased blood CRP, ICAM, and VCAM and muscle IL-6 and CRP and eliminated the increase in blood TNF-α and muscle TNF-α, ICAM and VCAM observed in the CO group. Conclusion WT at an intensity of pain threshold improved NO bioavailability and decreased systemic and local oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with IC. The proposed WT protocol provides physiological adaptations that may contribute to cardiovascular health in these patients.