Endothelin-1 response to whole-body vibration in obese and normal weight individuals

Upregulation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the hallmark of various cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The purpose of the present study was to assess the ET-1 response to an acute bout of whole-body vibration (WBV) in humans and to determine the role of adiposity. Twenty-two participants volunteered for the study; they were grouped into overweight/obese [(OW/OB): n = 11, Age: 33 ± 4 years, Body mass index (BMI): 35 ± 10 kg/m²] or normal weight [(NW): n = 11, Age: 28 ± 7 years, BMI: 21 ± 2 kg/m²]. Participants engaged in 10 cycles of WBV exercise (1 cycle = 1 min WBV followed by 30 s of rest). Blood samples were analyzed for ET-1 pre-WBV (PRE), immediately post (POST), 1 h (1H), 3 h (3H), and 24 h (24H) post-WBV. There was a significant time main effect of WBV on circulating ET-1 (F = 12.5, p < 0.001); however, the ET-1 response was similar (F = 0.180, p = 0.677) between groups. Specifically, compared to PRE, a significant increase in ET-1 was observed at 1H (p = 0.017) and 3H (p = 0.025). In addition, concentrations of ET-1 were significantly lower at 24H compared to PRE (p = 0.019), 1H (p < 0.001), and 3H (p < 0.001). Maximal oxygen uptake during WBV was similar between the two groups. Acute WBV resulted in an initial rise in ET-1, followed by a significantly lower ET-1 at 24H in both groups. Findings support the utility of routine WBV exercise to elicit a decrease in ET-1 and improve CVD risk, similar to what has been reported with traditional modes of exercise.