title: The effects of endurance exercise training on ambulatory blood pressure in normotensive older adults.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of 16-weeks of endurance exercise training (EET) on ambulatory blood pressure in older adults. Twenty-one men and women, 68.5 +/- 4.7 (mean +/- SD) years of age were randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG, n = 11) or to a control group (CG, n = 10). Subjects were normotensive (mean resting BP 132.0 +/- 8.6/80.1 +/- 6.6 mm Hg), free from overt cardiovascular or renal diseases, and were taking no vasoactive or diuretic medications. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), body composition, resting BP, and 24-hr ambulatory systolic (ASBP) and diastolic (ADBP) blood pressures were measured in all subjects before and after the study period. The EG completed 16 weeks (3, 1-hour bouts/wk) of EET, progressing in intensity from 50% to 85% of maximal workload. The CG did not exercise. In the EG, although body composition and resting BP did not change (p > 0.05), VO2max increased by 14% (p = 0.001), mean 24-hr ASBP decreased 7.9 mm Hg (p = 0.0001), and mean 24-hr ADBP decreased 3.6 mm Hg (p = 0.002). In the CG, there were no significant changes in these variables (p > 0.05). These data suggest that EET can improve both aerobic fitness and "real-life" blood pressures in healthy older adults and may help inhibit increases in blood pressure associated with normal aging.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, College of Nursing, Gainesville 32610, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Jessup
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lowenthal
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010807:Physical Endurance