Resistance,Aerobic, and Combination Training on Vascular Function in Overweight and Obese Adults

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012; 14:848–854. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The authors investigated the effects of moderate‐intensity resistance, aerobic, or combined exercise on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in overweight and obese individuals compared with no exercise. Participants were randomized to 4 groups: control, aerobic, resistance, and combination. Assessments were made at baseline, week 8, and week 12. In participant‐designated responders, those in the intervention groups who had improved levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP) or augmentation index (AI), we observed a significant decrease of SBP in aerobic (?4%, P=.027), resistance (?5.1%, P=.04), and combination groups (?6.3%, P=.000) at week 8 and in the combination group (?6.3%, P=.005) at week 12, compared with baseline. AI was significantly lower at week 12 in the aerobic (?12%, P=.047), resistance (?9.5%, P=.036), and combination (?12.7%, P=.003) groups compared with baseline, as well as in the combination group (?10.7%, P=.047) compared with the control group. We did not observe significant changes in SBP, DBP, or AI between the interventions when assessing the entire cohort, although there were significant improvements in a subgroup of responders. Thus, some but not all overweight and obese individuals can improve blood pressure and arterial stiffness by participating in regular combination exercise, decreasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure. ¹ In Australia, hypertension is a major health problem and data from the 1999–2000 AusDiab study ² indicated that 30% of the population 25?years and older had high systolic (≥140?mm?Hg) or diastolic (≥90?mm?Hg) blood pressure (BP) or were taking medication to control hypertension. Many people with hypertension go untreated, as there are rarely signs or symptoms of the condition. ³ Higher levels of physical activity are associated with decreased prevalence of hypertension. ³ Endurance training decreases BP due to lower systemic vascular resistance involving the sympathetic nervous system and the renin‐angiotensin system. ⁴ Regular aerobic exercise has also been demonstrated to significantly decrease BP in healthy sedentary normotensive and/or hypertensive adults, ⁵ while other studies have confirmed that resistance training is also beneficial in reducing BP. ⁶ , ⁷ There are limited data, however, on the effect of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise training on BP.Endurance exercise training is associated with lower levels of stiffness in central arteries, which suggests that regular exercise may be able to delay or prevent age‐related increases in arterial stiffness. ⁸ A single bout of aerobic exercise can improve endothelial function in sedentary ⁹ and physically active individuals. ¹⁰ In addition, the beneficial effects of aerobic training on arterial stiffness and endothelial function have also been observed in numerous studies. ¹¹ , ¹² In contrast, the effect of resistance training has not been studied as extensively as aerobic training, although current data indicate a role in improving endothelial dysfunction. ⁷ Resistance training has also been associated with lower levels of arterial compliance. ¹³ However, a cross‐sectional study by Cooks and colleagues ¹⁴ observed that rowing, which has both aerobic and resistance exercise components, has an overall positive effect on arterial stiffness compared with sedentary controls.There is much evidence supporting the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on BP and arterial stiffness, but limited data on the effect of other exercise types such as resistance or a combination of aerobic and resistance training. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the chronic effects of resistance, aerobic, or combined exercise at moderate intensity on BP and arterial stiffness in overweight and obese individuals compared with no exercise.