Abstract
Background: This study tested the hypothesis that training reduces resting sympathetic activity and improves baroreflex control in both hypertensive and normotensive men but reduces blood pressure only in hypertensive men.
Methods: Middle-aged/older un-medicated stage-1 hypertensive males (mean age 55±3 yrs; n=13) and normotensive controls (mean age 60±5 yrs; n=12) participated in 8 weeks of supervised high-intensity interval spinning training. Before and after training, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and blood pressure were measured at rest and during a sympatho-excitatory cold pressor test (CPT). Based on the measurements, baroreceptor sensitivity and baroreceptor threshold were calculated.
Results: Resting MSNA and baroreceptor sensitivity were similar for the hypertensive and the normotensive groups. Training lowered MSNA (p<0.05), expressed as burst frequency (burst/min), overall, and to a similar extent, in both groups (17 and 27%, respectively in hypertensive and normotensive group), whereas blood pressure was only significantly (p<0.05) lowered (by 4 mmHg in both systolic and diastolic pressure) in the hypertensive group. Training did not (p>0.05) alter the MSNA or blood pressure response to CPT or increase baroreceptor sensitivity but reduced (p<0.05) the baroreceptor threshold with a main effect for both groups. Training adherence and intensity was similar in both groups yet absolute maximal oxygen uptake increased by 15% in the normotensive group only.
Conclusion: The dissociation between the training induced changes in resting MSNA, lack of change in baroreflex sensitivity and the change in blood pressure, suggests that MSNA is not a main cause of the blood pressure reduction with exercise training in un-medicated middle-aged/older men.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 5 |
Pages (from-to) | 586-596 |
Number of pages | 11 |
ISSN | 0905-7188 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Keywords
- Faculty of Science
- Baroreflex
- Exercise training
- Hypertension
- Microneurography
- MSNA
- Sympathetic activity