title: Arterial compliance and stiffness following low-intensity resistance exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although acute high-intensity resistance exercise to exhaustion decreases arterial compliance and increases arterial stiffness, the effect of low-intensity resistance exercise (LRE) to exhaustion on arterial compliance and stiffness remains unknown. The present study investigated the acute effects of LRE on arterial compliance and stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy individuals (age 26 ± 5 years) performed LRE (40% of 1 repetition maximum) and control (CON: seated rest in the exercise room) trials on separate days in a randomized controlled crossover fashion. The LRE comprised three sets of bench presses to exhaustion with an inter-set rest period of 2 min. In the CON trial, LRE was not performed. Carotid arterial compliance, the β-stiffness index (via simultaneous B-mode ultrasound and applanation tonometry), carotid and brachial blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and at 30 and 60 min after both trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid arterial compliance and the β-stiffness index significantly increased and decreased, respectively (both P < 0.05), at 30 and 60 min after the LRE trials, but neither significantly differed after the CON trials. Carotid and brachial blood pressure and heart rate did not change at 30 and 60 min after both trials from baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that LRE acutely increases arterial compliance and decreases arterial stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Physiology, Nippon Sport Science University, 7-1-1, Fukasawa, Setagaya, Tokyo, 158-8508, Japan, tokamoto@nittai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Seokki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamaki-Sunaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055070:Resistance Training; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness