Exercise, Physical Activity and Vascular Health

Edited by:

Chris Pugh, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
Barry McDonnel, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
Keeron Stone, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 27 February 2026

Artery Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on Exercise, physical activity and vascular health.

For more information refer to About the Collection section below.

Image credit: © Cherries / stock.adobe.com

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Submit to Collection

Meet the Guest Editors

Back to top

Chris Pugh, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

Chris is an Associate Professor of Exercise & Cardiovascular Physiology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where he leads the CURIAD Clinical Application & Translation Research Group. His research focuses on how exercise and physical activity prevent, manage and treat cardiovascular disease, examining both acute and chronic effects on peripheral, central, and cerebral artery function across a diverse range of populations. Chris serves on multiple expert panels on physical activity and health and is the Wales lead for the global May Measure Month blood pressure awareness campaign.

Barry McDonnel, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

Barry McDonnell is a Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology and Centre Director for Cardiovascular Research, Innovation and Development (CURIAD) at Cardiff Metropolitan University. His research aims to understand the interactions between blood pressure and arterial haemodynamics in the development and progression of Stroke and cardiovascular disease. Barry leads the UK and Ireland’s May Measurement Month (MMM) blood pressure awareness campaign, and is Co-Director of the Wales National Cardiovascular Research Network. Barry has previously worked as Work-Group 1 vice lead for the European Cost Action funded Vascular Ageing Network (VascAgeNet) and currently works as an Editor for Artery Research and Experimental Physiology.

Keeron Stone, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

Dr Keeron Stone is a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Physiology at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the Vascular Ageing and Clinical Outcomes research lead for the Health and Care Research Wales and British Heart Foundation funded National Cardiovascular Research Network (NCRN), Wales. Bridging the gap between experimental physiological and epidemiology, Keeron’s research has focused on i) investigating the interactions between lifestyle factors, vascular ageing and cardiovascular disease risk, and ii) developing novel non-invasive technologies to assess vascular ageing.

About the Collection

Artery Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on Exercise, physical activity and vascular health.

There is irrefutable evidence that regular exercise elicits multifaceted and systemic cardiovascular benefits, with particularly potent effects on vascular function, structure and health. This special issue invites original research, reviews, and commentary exploring the complex relationships between exercise, physical (in)activity, and vascular function. We welcome submissions spanning acute mechanistic investigations, clinical trials, population-based studies, and translational research. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, cerebrovascular reactivity, central haemodynamics, and the vascular effects of both acute and chronic exercise across the lifespan and in clinical populations. Studies examining novel exercise interventions and modalities, emerging technologies, or underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged. This collection aims to highlight cutting-edge findings that advance our understanding of how movement supports vascular health.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

Back to top

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Exercise, physical activity and vascular health" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.