Influence of Exercise Mode on Post-exercise Arterial Stiffness and Pressure Wave Measures in Healthy Adult Males

Abstract

Background: Exercise mode has been reported to be an important determinant of arterial stiffness and wave reflection changes following a brief bout of exercise with inconsistent results to date. This study examined the impact of exercise mode on arterial stiffness and pressure wave measures following acute aerobic exercise (AER), resistance exercise (RES), and a control (CON) condition with no exercise.Methods: In a randomized, cross-over, repeated measures design, 21 healthy adult males (26.7 ± 7.2 years) undertook three experimental intervention sessions: AER (30-min cycle ergometry at 70–75% maximum heart rate), RES (3 × 10 repetitions of six upper and lower body exercises at 80–90% of 10-repetition maximum) and CON (30-min seated rest). Measures of arterial stiffness and pressure waves, such as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), augmentation index (AIx), AIx corrected for heart rate of 75 (AIx75), and forward wave (Pf), backward wave (Pb) and reflection magnitude, were assessed at Rest and at 10-min intervals for 60 min after the intervention sessions. Comparisons between interventions and over time were assessed via repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's tests.Results: No significant differences in cf-PWV were noted between the three interventions at rest or post-intervention. However, RES led to significantly greater post-intervention AIx, AIx75, Pf, and Pb compared to AER and CON with AIx75 also remaining significantly elevated throughout the post-intervention period. In contrast, AER resulted in a brief, significant elevation of AIx75 and no change in cf-PWV, Pf, Pb, and reflection magnitude.Conclusions: Exercise mode, specifically RES and AER, significantly influenced the time course of pressure wave reflection responses following a brief bout of exercise in healthy adult males. Distinct adjustments during exercise including changes in blood pressure and vasomotor tone may be key modulators of post-exercise arterial function. Identification of modal differences may assist in understanding the impact of exercise on cardiovascular function and the mechanisms by which exercise benefits vascular health.

Effects of aerobic, resistance and concurrent exercise on pulse wave reflection and autonomic modulation in men with elevated blood pressure

“…Reductions were not detected after RE, but it should be noted that there were no increases either, as previously reported in normotensive individuals 12 , 22 , 26 , 44 . While reductions in AIx after acute AE have been previously demonstrated 10 , 17 , 45 , data regarding RE are few and inconsistent 12 , 26 , 46 . A recent meta-analysis 4 including trials mostly developed with healthy individuals reported significant reductions in AIx following acute AE but not RE, while increases in AIx75 were detected after both AE and RE.…”

“…Moreover, shear stress patterns affecting vasoconstriction seem to depend on exercise mode 25 , 49 . Most trials reporting a reduction in AIx following AE linked this finding to increased peripheral vasodilation, rather than to a reduced sympathetic vasoconstriction 9 , 10 , 12 , 45 . The few studies that observed reductions in PWR after acute RE, also suggested that this would be secondary to changes in the transit time of the reflected wave 15 due to peripheral vasodilation mediated by local metabolite accumulation 10 , 47 .…”

“…To our knowledge, there is only a single trial specifically investigating the influence of exercise modes (AE vs. RE, but not CE) on arterial stiffness and PWR 12 . Healthy young men performed acute bouts of AE (30-min cycling at 70-75% maximum heart rate) and RE (3 × 10 reps of six upper/lower body exercises at 80-90% of 10-RM).…”

“…Therefore, as a function of PWR, AP and aoPP largely depend on the pulse wave velocity, which in turn is dependent on arterial elasticity. Augmentation refers to the difference between the second and first systolic peaks of the central pressure waveform, and AIx is defined as augmentation expressed as a percentage of pulse pressure 12 , 37 . For this reason, it is acknowledged as a measure of systemic arterial stiffness derived from the ascending aortic pressure waveform 7 , 11 , 24 .…”

“…Aerobic training seems to reduce PWR (i.e., AIx and reflection magnitude), while the effects of resistance training are inconclusive, with trials reporting increasing, decreasing or no change in PWR and arterial stiffness outcomes 4 , 10 – 15 . The effects of acute exercise have been suggested as potential determinants of overall hemodynamic chronic adaptations, including arterial stiffness 4 , 16 , 17 , which is probably attenuated by the exercise mode 4 , 12 , 18 , 19 . However, research on the after-effects of different exercise modes (i.e., aerobic vs. resistance exercise) on PWR and arterial stiffness are scarce and produced unconclusive findings 4 , 12 .…”