Central blood pressure is a predictor of the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the effects of resistance training (RT) on central blood pressure are largely unknown. This study explored the effects of high-intensity RT on central blood pressure, indices of arterial stiffness and wave reflection and inflammatory/atherogenic markers in overweight or obese, sedentary young men. Thirty-six participants were randomized to RT (12 weeks of training, 3/wk, n = 28) or control groups (C, 12 weeks of no training, n = 8) and assessed for changes in central and brachial blood pressures, augmentation index (AIx), carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), body composition, lipids and inflammatory/atherogenic markers. High-intensity RT resulted in decreased central and brachial systolic/diastolic blood pressures (all P≤0.03), despite not altering AIx (P = 0.34) or cfPWV (P = 0.43). The vascular endothelial growth factor increased (P = 0.03) after RT, without any change in cIMT, C-reactive protein, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) or other inflammatory markers (all P≥0.1). Changes in the central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) were positively correlated with changes in oxLDL (r = 0.42, P = 0.03) and soluble E-selectin (r = 0.41, P = 0.04). In overweight/obese young men, high-intensity RT decreases cSBP, independently of weight loss and changes in arterial stiffness. The cardioprotective effects of RT may be related to effects on central blood pressure.

Introduction Recent evidence suggests that resistance training (RT) may reduce metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk. We investigated whether overweight/class I obese individuals by BMI classification with high strength fitness exhibit cardiovascular/metabolic phenotypes similar to those overweight/obese and untrained or those normal-weight with high strength fitness. Methods 90 young males were categorized into 3 groups: overweight untrained (OU, n=30, BMI>27 kg/m2), overweight trained (OT, n=30, BMI>27kg/m2, RT≥4 d/wk) and normal-weight trained (NT, n=30, BMI<25kg/m2, RT≥4 d/wk). Participants were assessed for strength, body composition, central/peripheral blood pressures, arterial stiffness, and markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health. Results Body weight was similar in OT and OU and greater than NT (P<0.00001), and fat mass was different in all groups (P<0.001). Compared to OU, NT and OT groups exhibited higher relative strength (NT:46.7%;OT:44.4%,P<0.00001) and subendocardial viability ratio (NT:21.0%,P<0.001;OT:17.0%,P<0.01) and lower brachial/central blood pressures (NT:P<0.001;OT:P≤0.05); augmentation index and pulse-wave velocity were lower in only OT (P<0.05). Total-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (NT:P<0.01,OT:P<0.05), triglycerides (NT:-50.4%,OT:-41.8%;P<0.001), oxidized LDL (NT:-39.8%,OT:-31.8%;P<0.001) and CRP (NT:-63.7%,OT:-67.4%;P<0.01) levels were lower and high-density lipoprotein (NT:26.9%,OT:21.4%;P<0.001) higher in NT and OT compared to OU. NT and OT also exhibited lower amylin (NT:-55.8%,OT:-40.8%) and leptin (NT:-84.6%,OT:-59.4%) and higher adiponectin (NT:87.5%;P<0.001;OT:78.1%;P<0.01) and sex-hormone binding globulin (NT:124.4%,OT:92.3%;P<0.001). Despite greater total and trunk fat in OT compared with NT, other than glucose and insulin, which were lower in NT than both OT and OU (OT:P<0.01,OU:P<0.001), OT did not exhibit any impaired biomarker/phenotype compared to NT. Conclusion These findings provide evidence that overweight/class I obese individuals with high strength fitness exhibit metabolic/cardiovascular risk profiles similar to normal-weight, fit rather than overweight/class I obese unfit individuals. Strength training may be important to metabolic and cardiovascular health.

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