Effect of a mild exercise program on myocardial function and the development of hypertrophy

Cardiac function and the development of myocardial hypertrophy were studied in rats conditioned by an exercise program consisting of 8 wk of running on a treadmill. At the end of the training period a group of exercised and sedentary rats was subjected to hemodynamic evaluation under general anesthesia. Except for a slight elevation in the heart rates of the exercised animals there were no significant differences between the exercised and sedentary rats at rest. Following an increase in afterload or a period of hypoxia, the cardiac index of the exercised animals remained significantly higher than that of the sedentary controls. These differences were related to changes in stroke volume. Another group of exercised and sedentary animals underwent either constriction of the ascending aorta or a sham operation. Sedentary rats developed significant hypertrophy at 3 days but had no hypertrophy at 1 day after aortic constriction. Exercised rats, however, developed significant myocardial hypertrophy by 1 day after pressure overload. These data suggest that the heart from an exercised animal is better able to tolerate increases in afterload and hypoxia and can respond with compensatory myocardial hypertrophy more rapidly than the heart of a sedentary animal.