title: The effect of participation in an exercise training program on cardiovascular reactivity in sedentary middle-aged males.
abstract: Exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity to mental stressors may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To determine if participation in a moderate intensity aerobic exercise training program reduces cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors, 40 sedentary middle-aged males were randomly assigned: training group (n = 25) and control group (n = 15). Cardiovascular reactivity during and after three mental stressors (passive responding, push-button Stroop and verbal Stroop) and mild exercise (bicycle ergometer) was assessed before and after an 8-week intervention. VO2(peak) was determined using the Balke protocol. Among 19 subjects who completed the training, VO2(peak) increased 13.7%. Also, trained compared to untrained subjects showed significant reductions in baseline and absolute heart rate responses to all stressors. Baseline adjusted heart rates were significantly lower during push-button Stroop recovery and during verbal Stroop. Blood pressure, T-wave amplitude, finger pulse amplitude and pulse transit time responses were unaffected by exercise training. It was concluded that participation in a short-term, moderate intensity aerobic exercise training program may have a cardioprotective effect by significantly reducing absolute and baseline-adjusted heart rate responses to stressors.
authors.affiliation: Jewish Hospital, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Boutcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D011674:Pulse / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology