Effects of the Intensity of Leg Isometric Training on the Vasculature of Trained and Untrained Limbs and Resting Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Men

• Main Authors: Anthony W. Baross, Jonathan D. Wiles, Ian L. Swaine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Vascular Medicine
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/964697
• ISSN: 2090-2824; 2090-2832

The purpose of this study was to establish whether changes in resting blood pressure and the vasculature of trained and untrained limbs are dependent on training intensity, following isometric-leg training. Thirty middle-aged males undertook an 8 week training programme (4×2 min bilateral-leg isometric contractions 3 times per week). Two groups trained at either high (HI; 14%MVC) or low (LO; 8%MVC) intensity a third group (CON) acted as controls. All parameters were measured at baseline, 4-weeks and post-training. Resting SBP (−10.8±7.9 mmHg), MAP (−4.7±6.8 mmHg) and HR (−4.8±5.9 b·min−1) fell significantly in the HI group post-training with concomitant significant increases in resting femoral mean artery diameter (FMAD; 1.0±0.4 mm), femoral mean blood velocity (FMBV; 0.68±0.83 cm·s−1), resting femoral artery blood flow (FABF; 82.06±31.92 ml·min−1) and resting femoral vascular conductance (FVC, 45%). No significant changes occurred in any brachial artery measure nor in any parameters measured in the LO or CON groups. These findings show that training-induced reductions in resting blood pressure after isometric-leg training in healthy middle-aged men are associated with concomitant adaptations in the local vasculature, that appear to be dependent on training intensity and take place in the later stages of training.