Ankle-brachial index and arterial stiffness are associated with leg function in the elderly and in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Little is known about the meaning of these parameters in young and trained subjects and how they are related to physical performance. The main objective was to evaluate the mediating role of arterial stiffness and ankle-brachial index in physical performance. In a cross-sectional, case-control study, 240 male athletes were consecutively enrolled from the Laboratory of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, "G. d'Annunzio" University (Italy). All the subjects underwent the examination protocol for the annual medical evaluation for sport participation. Soccer (football) players compared to runners showed a lower level of ankle-brachial index, higher arterial stiffness, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In the treadmill stress test, soccer players compared to runners showed a greater maximal aerobic capacity. Differences in cardiovascular performance between soccer players and runners were mediated by better arterial stiffness and low level of ankle-brachial index; the estimated effect was 0.11 ± 0.05 and 0.24 ± 0.06, respectively. Vigorous strength training drops blood pressure and increases arterial stiffness. Taken together, our findings would seem to suggest that ABI and CAVI could be used as markers for athletes' performance.
Keywords: ankle-brachial index; arterial stiffness; exercise; physical fitness; soccer.