Increase in muscle mass and strength through resistance exercise (RE) has been highly recommended for healthy aging. On the other hand, RE could lead to acute cardiovascular risks prompted mainly by intense blood pressure elevations and cardiac autonomic imbalance. We compared the cardiovascular responses to three different RE protocols performed by 21 healthy elderly on a leg press machine. The protocols tested were high load (80% 1RM) until muscular failure (HL); low load (30% 1RM) until muscular failure (LL); low load, 30 repetitions followed by 3 sets of 15 repetitions, with 50% blood flow restriction (LL-BFR); and a control session (CON). Based on heart rate variability analysis, only LL kept parasympathetic indexes lower than CON at 30 min recovery. By finger photoplethysmography, LL-BFR prompted higher systolic and mainly diastolic blood pressure increments in many sets. The heart rate and cardiac output increase, and total peripheral resistance reduction following exercise were not different among RE protocols. There was no significant post-exercise hypotension and carotid arterial compliance changes. HL seems to be the safer protocol to be recommended for the healthy elderly, because it induces lower blood pressure increments and faster parasympathetic recovery compared to LL and LL-BFR.

This study investigated the autonomic and haemodynamic responses to different aerobic exercise loads, with and without blood flow restriction (BFR). In a crossover study, 21 older adults (8 males and 13 females) completed different aerobic exercise sessions: low load without BFR (LL) (40% VO), low load with BFR (LL-BFR) (40% VO + 50% BFR) and high load without BFR (HL) (70% VO). Heart rate variability and haemodynamic responses were recorded during rest and throughout 30 min of recovery. HL reduced R-R interval, the root mean square of successive difference of R-R intervals and high frequency during 30 min of recovery at a greater magnitude compared with LL and LL-BFR. Sympathetic-vagal balance increased the values for HL during 30 min of recovery at a greater magnitude when compared with LL and LL-BFR. Post-exercise haemodynamic showed reduced values of double product at 30 min of recovery compared to rest in LL-BFR, while HL showed higher values compared to rest, LL-BFR and LL. Reduced systolic blood pressure was observed for LL-BFR (30 min) compared to rest. Autonomic and haemodynamic responses indicate lower cardiovascular stress after LL-BFR compared to HL, being this method, besides the functional adaptations, a potential choice to attenuate the cardiovascular stress after exercise in older adults.

This article is a methodological description of a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov U1111-1181-4455) aiming to evaluate the time-course (monthly) and associations between blood pressure changes and other health-related adaptations in response to exercise training in hypertensive elderly. Methods: The patients will be randomized to a control or combined training group interventions (aerobic and resistance exercise), with monthly assessments in four months. Although, the changes in baseline blood pressure is the primary clinical outcome, the secondary outcomes include: body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, arterial stiffness, baroreceptor sensitivity, cardiovascular autonomic modulation, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, growth factors, tissue remodeling markers, metabolic profile, renal function, cognitive function and quality of life. Results: To support the understanding of the blood pressure changes in hypertensive elderly, a time-course of exercise-induced adaptations including cardiovascular and immunological adaptations are fundamental for research in this field. Conclusion: To investigate the time-course of combined training-induced adaptations including all the diverse aspects of health in hypertensive elderly a well-controlled protocol design is necessary, mainly to clarify the relationship between cardiovascular and immunological exercise-induced adaptations.

Introduction: Resistance exercise (RE) training is widely recommended for increasing muscle strength and mass in older adults. RE is also a potential stimulus to improve cognitive functions (CF), but the best protocol for this purpose is unknown. Objective: To compare the effects of different RE protocols on CF in the same group of individuals. Methods: Twenty-four older adults were randomized (cross over) to control (CON) and lower limb RE protocols with high load (HL - 80% of 1RM), low load (LL - 30% of 1RM) and LL with blood flow restriction (LL-BFR - 30% of 1RM and 50% BFR). For CF assessment, participants underwent the Stroop test before and after each RE protocol. Results: Reduction in response time for Stroop neutral stimuli was greater after LL (effect size (ES) = -0.92) compared to CON (ES = -0.18) and HL (ES = -0.03), but was not different from LL-BFR (ES = -0.24). The reduced response time was associated with reduced parasympathetic modulation and increased cardiac output across protocols. Conclusion: LL was the most effective RE protocol to improve CF of older adults and a potential beneficial effect of LL-BFR on CF (non-significant) was identified. Therefore, LL resistance exercise appears to stimulate acute cognitive improvements in healthy older adults, probably through exercise-induced optimal autonomic modulation changes. Level of Evidence I; Therapeutic studies-Investigating the results of treatment.

Background: Aging process is characterized by reduction of muscle mass and strength, named sarcopenia. To attenuate these declines, resistance training has been purposed. The use 1RM test has been applied to define the maximal strength and prescription of exercise. Otherwise, it is not safe and it has not shown good practical applicability. Thus, the present study aim to compare the repetitions number for high and low load resistance exercise performed until failure between a young and elderly men groups. Methods: We compared (Mann-Whitney test) the repetitions number performed until muscle failure by 9 young and 9 elderly men at four sets 45ºleg press exercise for high (80% 1RM) and low load (30% 1RM). Results: Both groups reached maximum values for rate of perceived exertion, ensuring the muscle failure were achieved and no differences were seen between groups. The repetitions numbers were higher for young men with similar delta of reduction throughout sets between groups at low load resistance exercise. Otherwise, the delta of repetitions number reduction throughout sets at high load resistance exercise was higher for young men than elderly. Conclusions: We conclude elderly people need to perform lower number of repetition to reach muscle failure and thus achieve the desired training stimulus, mainly in low load resistance exercise. Furthermore, as they have better resistance to fatigue along sets the reduction of repetition number along sets is lower for them mainly when high load resistance exercise is performed.

The aim was to compare the acute effect of resistance(RE) and aerobic exercise(AE) with blood flow restriction(BFR) on systolic(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) in healthy elderly. By mixed model for repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc, we observed lower values in the end of AE compared to RE(SBP-AE:148±19; RE:215±24; DBP-AE:75±11; RE:120±16 mmHg) as well the DBP at 30 minutes after exercises(AE:119±19;RE:128±14 mmHg). We concluded AEBFR was safer than REBFR in this population.

Aging process leads to progressive loss of numerous physiological functions, including the cognitive functions (CF). Aerobic training (AE) provides many beneficial adaptations to the health of elderly. More recently AE have shown improvements on CF. Furthermore, the improvements in CF can be seen also after an only session of AE. However, among many AE protocols, it is not clear, which of them could lead to higher CF improvements after only one session. We compared the effects of high load AE, low load AE and low-load AE with blood flow restriction. All of them were performed for 20 min in a treadmill by healthy elderly in a cross-over design. CF was assessed by Stroop Test before and after each AE protocol. None of the AE protocols tested in the present study improved the elderly cognitive function. These results could be due to the extremely healthy sample or the large heterogeneity of response among them.

Lucas do C. Santos (IC), Amanda V. Sardeli (PG), Marina Lívia V. Ferreira (PG), Arthur F. Gáspari (PG), Cláudia R. Cavaglieri (PQ), José Rocha (PQ), Mara Patrícia T. Chacon-Mikahil (PQ) Resumo The present study analyzed systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure after different strength exercise (SE, performed in leg press machine) protocols, which according to literature are efficient to increase strength and muscle mass in healthy elderly. The study was performed in a cross-over design, containing the following sessions: SEHI (80% 1RM, 4 sets with repetitions until voluntary failure), SEBFR (30% 1RM, 1 set of 30 repetitions plus 3 sets of 15 repetitions, with 50% blood flow restriction), SELO (30% 1RM, 4 sets with repetitions until voluntary failure) and control (no exercise). The data showed blood pressure variation from pre to post-exercise (5, 15 and 30 minutes) did not differ between SE sessions. Regarding these acute blood pressure variations, none of the SE protocols applied showed to be more beneficial or harmful to the cardiovascular system.