Cardiac vessels density (-actin immunolabeling) and angiogenic capacity of coronary artery explants (culture in collagen gel) was determined in hypertrophied heart obtained by exercise training (10 weeks) or angiotensin II (AngII) infusion for 10 days. A group of rats received AngII the last 10 days of training. Heart weight index was similarly elevated in exercise and Ang II-hypertension compared to controls (3.16 ± 0.09 and 3.11 ± 0.11 vs 2.68 ± 0.08 mg/g, respectively) whereas tail-cuff pressure (TCP) increased only in sedentary rats infused with AngII. Vessels density was increased by 36% in trained rats and reduced by 30% in AngII-infused rats. The number of sprouts generated by coronary rings was reduced by 50% in AngII-infused rats and increased by 50% in trained rats compared to controls (35±4 and 113±5 vs 71±1 sprouts per ring, respectively). Exercise-training partly prevented the hypertensive effect of AngII (TCP of 141±5 mmHg) whereas heart weight index (3.66±0.06 mg/g BW) was not lowered. Myocardial vessel density was normalized and sprouting from coronary rings increased by 50% in trained rats infused with AngII when compared to sedentary normotensive rats. Of note, cardiac vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, western-blot analysis) was higher in hypertensive rats and not affected by exercise. Facing a similar increase in cardiac mass, intense training but not AngII hypertension is accompanied by an increase in vascular density of the heart. The effect of training is unlikely related to changes in resting VEGF and may represent enhanced angiogenic capacity of the coronary vascular bed.