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

Abstract

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.

Review on Exercise Intervention Methods for Weight Loss in Obese Individuals

“…Due to limited sample size, our study may have been underpowered to detect significant changes in some variables. As several groups of participants were staggered over a 15-month period, seasonal changes may have been a factor [38]. Reported energy intake in all groups decreased over the course of the intervention and this may have contributed to changes in body weight and composition.…”

Effects of Concurrent Exercise on Hypertension: Current Consensus and Emerging Research

“…Four of the eight trials found concurrent exercise training conferred similar BP benefi ts to those achieved with aerobic and dynamic resistance training alone among young men with prehypertension [ 49 ] and obesity (6-10 mmHg) [ 50 ], older men with hypertension (12-24 mmHg) [ 23 ], and middle-aged adults with prehypertension and obesity (3-5 mmHg) [ 46 ], despite widely varying concurrent exercise training programs. In contrast, combined aerobic and resistance exercise performed on separate days did not reduce BP among middle-aged men [ 56 ] and women [ 57 ] with prehypertension; similar fi ndings were reported following concurrent exercise training (i.e., on the same day ) among middle-aged women [ 55 ] and older adults with pre-to-established hypertension [ 58 ] (see Table 3.2 ).…”

“…Finally, Ho and colleagues [ 46 ] compared the antihypertensive effects of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic, dynamic resistance, and concurrent exercise training (15 min per session of aerobic and resistance exercise) performed for 30 min, 5 days per week among 64 middle-aged adults (84 % women) with normal BP to prehypertension and obesity (~33 kg/m 2 ), and 8 % ( n = 5) of their sample were taking BP medications to control their high BP. Consistent with Shaw et al, they found SBP was reduced ~5 mmHg ( p = 0.034) after 12 weeks of concurrent training, but different from previous studies, resting BP was not reduced with isolated aerobic or dynamic resistance training.…”

“…Most concurrent training interventions involved adults with prehypertension (50 %, k = 14) or established hypertension (41 %, k = 10) at baseline; four interventions (15 %) reported normal BP values at baseline [ 25 , 46 , 47 ], despite involving The BP response to training (BP Change, mmHg), i.e., the difference in BP at post adults with BP ranging from normal to established hypertension [ 46 ]. On average, concurrent training programs lasted 16 weeks (8-32 weeks) and consisted of 3 weekly, 60-70 min sessions (~30 min per exercise) performed at moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise (~60-80 % VO 2peak ) and moderate resistance exercise loads (60 to ~75 % 1-RM) (see Table 3.2 ).…”

The effects of resistance exercise training on arterial stiffness in metabolic syndrome

“…Previous studies in healthy young and middle-aged subjects suggest that AS increases after RT (Cortez-Cooper et al 2005; Miyachi et al 2003, 2004), while other studies showed no change or a decrease with RT (Casey et al 2007; Heffernan et al 2009; Rakobowchuk et al 2005). Furthermore, studies conducted using healthy young or middle-aged obese individuals with fairly healthy measures of AS, have shown no alterations in central AS or augmentation index (an indirect measure of AS) (Croymans et al 2014; Ho et al 2012). These differences likely arise from the variations in training programs with high intensity or failure training eliciting increases in AS and beneficial or no change coming from progressive moderate programs.…”