Effects of age on arterial stiffness and central blood pressure after an acute bout of resistance exercise

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology Vol. 116; no. 1; pp. 39 - 48
• Main Authors: Thiebaud, Robert S., Fahs, Christopher A., Rossow, Lindy M., Loenneke, Jeremy P., Kim, Daeyeol, Mouser, J. Grant, Beck, Travis W., Bemben, Debra A., Larson, Rebecca D., Bemben, Michael G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Age groups; Aged; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Blood Pressure Determination - methods; Cardiovascular system; Compliance; Exercise - physiology; Female; Heart rate; Human Physiology; Humans; Male; Middle age; Middle Aged; Neuromuscular system; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Older people; Original Article; Pulse Wave Analysis - methods; Sports Medicine; Strength training; Time Factors; Vascular Stiffness - physiology; Velocity; Young Adult; United States > US; Aging; Pulse wave velocity; Arterial compliance; Augmentation index
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-015-3242-5

Purpose To investigate the influence of age on arterial stiffness and blood pressure after performing a resistance exercise bout. Methods Recreationally active men were separated into young (YG, n  = 12, 26.5 ± 3.3 years), middle (MG, n  = 14, 49.4 ± 5.7 years), and old (OG, n  = 10, 67.4 ± 6.3 years)-aged groups. In a randomized cross-over design, participants performed control and exercise conditions with at least 3 days separating conditions. The exercise condition consisted of leg press, chest press, knee flexion, lat pulldown and knee extension at ~65 % one-repetition maximum for three sets of 10 repetitions. Brachial and central blood pressures, augmented pressure, augmentation index, central and peripheral pulse wave velocities were measured prior to each condition and starting at 5 min post-exercise. Results Brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) significantly increased similarly after exercise for all age groups (YG, 8 ± 8 mmHg; MG, 5 ± 5 mmHg; OG, 5 ± 6 mmHg; p  < 0.05). However, central SBP did not significantly increase for any age group after exercise. Augmentation index significantly increased after exercise only in the YG (11 ± 8 %, p  < 0.05). Central pulse wave velocity did not significantly increase in any age group after exercise when compared to the control condition. Conclusions When performing a whole body moderate resistance exercise bout, acute changes in arterial stiffness and blood pressure appear to be minimally affected by age.