Research

Hormonal

Twelve weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (50% VO2max) significantly augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans, whereas mild (25%) and high (75%) intensities do not.

To improve your blood vessel health, aim for moderate aerobic exercise, such as cycling or brisk walking, at 50% of your maximum oxygen capacity. Do this 5-7 times a week for 30 minutes. Avoid very high-intensity efforts, as they may increase oxidative stress without improving vascular function, and very low-intensity efforts, which may not provide sufficient stimulus.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Twelve weeks of moderate-intensity exercise, but not mild- or high-intensity exercise, significantly augmented acetylcholine-induced vasodilation (P<0.05).
Chikara Goto et al. · Circulation · 2003

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with clear intervention groups and objective physiological measurements, though limited to healthy young men.

Source

Effect of Different Intensities of Exercise on Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation in Humans

Chikara Goto et al. · Circulation · 2003

DOI 10.1161/01.cir.0000080893.55729.28

rct · n=26Cited 610×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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