Table 2.

Effects of exercise training on endothelial progenitor cells in animals and healthy subjects

Subjects	n	Study group; age	Modality	Exercise prescription	Duration	Results	Limitations	Ref.
Mice	12	Exercise group; Control group	Aerobic	Exercise group: Voluntary running 5100 ± 800 m 7 d a week; Control group: No intervention	28 d	↑ EPCs		[101]
Healthy male	10	Exercise (n = 10) 59 ± 2 yr	Home based aerobic	Walking/jogging 60%-75% predicted peak HR 40-50 min-5-7 sessions per week	3 mo	↑ EPC colonies about 100% from 10 ± 3 to 22 ± 5; ↑ Migratory activity about 50% from 683 ± 96 to 1022 ± 123 RFUs	Non control study	[20]
Healthy male	47	Exercise: Elderly (n = 25) 67.8 ± 3.38 yr, young (n = 22) 26.3 ± 3.15 yr	Aerobic	Treadmill 30 min 3 sessions per week	12 wk	↑Re-endothelialization capacity of EPCs from 15% ± 4% to 36% ± 9%	Non control study	[102]
Healthy male (n = 7), female (n = 13)	20	Interval exercise: Moderate (n = 9), heavy (n = 11)	Aerobic	Ergometer moderate interval (10 s @ 120% peak work rate : 20 s @ 20 W); Heavy interval (30 s @ 120% peak work rate : 60 s @ 20 W), 30-40 min 3 sessions per week	6 wk	No significant change on EPC numbers	Non control study measurements took place 48 h after the last session	[103]
Children	182	Intervention (n = 109), control (n = 73)		Intervention group: PA at school 45 min + endurance training 15 min per school day; Control group: PA at school 45 min 2 school day per week	1 school year	↑ CPCs		[104]

EPC: Endothelial progenitor cell; PA: Physical activity.