Peak systolic blood pressure on a graded maximal exercise test and the blood pressure response to an acute bout of submaximal exercise.

Blood pressure (BP) is immediately reduced after aerobic exercise (postexercise hypotension [PEH]). Whether peak systolic BP on a maximal graded exercise stress test (GEST) relates to PEH is not known. This study examined associations between peak systolic BP on a GEST and PEH. Subjects were 50 men (mean +/- SEM age 43.8 +/- 1.3 years) with elevated BP (145.3 +/- 1.5/85.9 +/-1.1 mm Hg). Men completed a GEST and 3 experiments: nonexercise control and 2 cycle bouts at 40% (LIGHT) and 60% (MODERATE) of maximal oxygen consumption. After the experiments, subjects left the laboratory wearing ambulatory BP monitors. Peak systolic BP on a GEST was categorized into tertiles: low (n = 17, 197.4 +/- 2.0 mm Hg), medium (n = 16, 218.4 +/- 1.4 mm Hg), and high (n = 17, 248.9 +/- 2.8 mm Hg). Repeated-measures analysis of variance tested if BP differed over time and among experimental conditions and peak systolic BP groups. In men with high peak systolic BP, systolic BP was reduced by 7.3 +/- 2.6 mm Hg after LIGHT and by 5.0 +/- 2.2 mm Hg after MODERATE compared with nonexercise control over 10 hours, with the more apparent effects seen after LIGHT (p <0.05). In men with low peak systolic BP, systolic BP was reduced by 6.3 +/- 2.3 mm Hg after MODERATE compared with nonexercise control over 10 hours (p <0.05). In men with medium peak systolic BP, systolic BP was not different after exercise compared with nonexercise control over 10 hours (p >or=0.05). Men with high peak systolic BP had decreased systolic BP to the greatest extent after LIGHT, whereas men with low peak systolic BP reduced systolic BP after MODERATE. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that peak systolic BP on a GEST may be used to characterize which men with hypertension will have decreased systolic BP after acute submaximal aerobic exercise.

The influence of short and long duration on the blood pressure response to an acute bout of dynamic exercise.

BACKGROUND: The minimum duration of exercise needed to acutely lower blood pressure (BP) has not been established. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of short and long duration on the BP response to a session of aerobic exercise. METHODS: Subjects were 45 men (mean +/- SEM, 43.4 +/- 1.5 years) with elevated BP (144.6 +/- 1.6/85.2 +/- 1.1 mm Hg). Using a parallel design, men were randomly assigned to 40% (LITE, n = 23) or 60% (MOD, n = 22) of maximal oxygen consumption. Following assignment, they completed 3 experiments: a no-exercise control, and a 15-minute SHORT and 30-minute LONG cycle bout. Subjects left the laboratory wearing an ambulatory BP monitor. Repeated measure analysis of variance tested if BP differed among experimental conditions (no-exercise control, LONG, and SHORT) and over time within groups (LITE and MOD). RESULTS: For 9 hours, systolic BP increased from baseline after all conditions (P < .001); however, systolic BP was reduced by 5.6 +/- 2.0 and 4.3 +/- 1.6 mm Hg after SHORT and LONG with LITE, and 4.1 +/- 1.6 and 4.9 +/- 1.9 mm Hg with MOD, respectively, compared with no-exercise control (P < .05). For 9 hours, diastolic BP (DBP) decreased from baseline after all conditions (P < .001). DBP was reduced by 2.1 +/- 1.0 and 3.6 +/- 1.4 mm Hg after SHORT and LONG with MOD for 3 hours (P < .05), and average DBP was lower by 2.4 +/- 1.0 mm Hg after LONG with LITE for 9 hours versus no-exercise control (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The immediate BP-lowering effects of short-duration, lower intensity exercise are comparable to those of higher amounts of exercise. Additional investigation is needed to better quantify the dose of exercise needed to lower BP.

RAAS polymorphisms alter the acute blood pressure response to aerobic exercise among men with hypertension.

Limited evidence suggests renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) polymorphisms alter the blood pressure (BP) response to aerobic exercise training. We examined if RAAS polymorphisms influenced postexercise hypotension in men with high normal to Stage 1 hypertension. Forty-seven men (44.2+/-1.4 years, 145.1+/-1.6/85.5+/-1.1 mmHg) randomly completed three experiments: seated rest (control) and two cycle exercise bouts at 40% (LITE) and 60% (MOD) of maximal oxygen consumption. Ambulating BP was measured for 14 h after each experiment. RAAS polymorphisms associated with hypertension (i.e. angiotensin converting I enzyme, ACE I/D; angiotensin II type 1 receptor, AT1R A/C; and intron 2 of aldosterone synthase, Int2 W/C) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion. Repeated measure ANOVA tested if BP differed between experimental conditions by RAAS genotypes. Compared to men with 0-2 variant alleles, men with > or =3 combined RAAS variant alleles had lower average systolic BP (SBP) (P=0.030) and lower average diastolic BP (DBP) (P=0.009) for 14 h only after LITE. In contrast, average BP was not different for MOD and control between RAAS variant allele groups over this time period (P> or =0.05). LITE reduced BP in men with > or =3 variant RAAS alleles for 14 h, whereas MOD had no influence on BP in these men. In order to optimally prescribe exercise for its BP lowering benefits in those with hypertension, additional knowledge of how genetic variation affects the BP response to exercise is needed.

Exercise intensity alters postexercise hypotension.

OBJECTIVE: Blood pressure (BP) is immediately lowered after a session of dynamic exercise, e.g. postexercise hypotension (PEH). The optimal exercise intensity needed to evoke PEH has not been established. We examined the effect of light (LITE) and moderate (MOD) exercise intensity on PEH. DESIGN: Subjects were 49 men (mean +/- SEM, 43.8 +/- 1.4 years) with high normal to stage 1 hypertension (145.0 +/- 1.5/85.8 +/- 1.1 mmHg). Men randomly completed three blinded experiments: a control session and two cycle exercise bouts, one at 40% (LITE) and the other at 60% (MOD) of maximal oxygen consumption. METHODS: Experiments began with a baseline period and were conducted at the same time of day and separated by >/= 2 days. Subjects wore an ambulatory BP monitor after the experiments. Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested if BP and heart rate differed over time and between experimental conditions. Multivariate regression tested factors related to the BP response. RESULTS: For 9 h after all experiments, average awake systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased compared with baseline (P < 0.001). Average awake SBP increased up to 6.9 mmHg less (P < 0.001) and DBP decreased 2.6 mmHg more (P < 0.05) after exercise versus control. For 5 h, PEH was greater after MOD; but over the course of 9 h, LITE was as effective as MOD in eliciting PEH. Baseline BP was the primary factor explaining the BP response (beta = -0.434 to -0.718, r = 0.096-0.295). CONCLUSIONS: LITE and MOD evoked PEH throughout the daytime hours. Lower intensity dynamic exercise such as walking, contributes to BP control in men with hypertension.