Figure 1.

Exercise improves cardiovascular health by inducing changes in oxygen delivery, vasculature, peripheral tissues, and inflammation. (A) Exercise improves oxygen delivery throughout the body through promotion of vasodilation and angiogenesis (107–110). (B) Exercise increases mitochondrial biogenesis in adipocytes (104, 111, 112), skeletal muscle myotubes (113), and cardiomyocytes (14, 114, 115). (C) Exercise causes a long-term anti-inflammatory effect (which is inversely related to the increased inflammation typically seen in CVD and obesity) (116). Myokines released from skeletal muscle during physical exercise partially mediate these anti-inflammatory effects, and promote inter-tissue cross talk to mediate further cardiovascular benefits (117–120).