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Effects of resistance training on central blood pressure in obese young men

Abstract

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 P0.03), 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 P0.1). 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.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mary Lee, Brian Le, Ergit Paparisto, Stacy Young, Kristin Anderson, Yashesh Shah and the entire Exercise and Metabolic Disease Research (EMDR) team for their commitment to this study. We thank the dedicated nurses and staff of the UCLA GCRC, Gonda (Goldschmied) Diabetes Center, Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center (DERC) and Elisa Terry and colleagues at the John Wooden Recreation Center. We also thank the UCLA Academic Technology Services Statistical Consulting Group for their statistical support. Furthermore, we thank all participants for their time and effort.

This work was supported by the American Heart Association (BGIA no 0765139Y to CKR.), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (P50 HL105188 to CKR.) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through UCLA CTSI Grant UL1TR000124. RAH. is supported in part by the American Heart Association (10SDG305006).

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Correspondence to C K Roberts.

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CKR, DMC and RAH contributed to the conception and design of the research; DMC led the training intervention; SLK, CSO, MK and CL performed experiments; DMC analyzed data; DMC and SLK interpreted results of experiments; DMC SLK and CKR drafted and revised the manuscript; DMC, CKR, SLK, RAH, CL, MK and CSO edited the manuscript; DMC, CKR, SLK, RAH, CL, MK and CSO approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Croymans, D., Krell, S., Oh, C. et al. Effects of resistance training on central blood pressure in obese young men. J Hum Hypertens 28, 157–164 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2013.81

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