Background— Reductions in the compliance of central arteries exert a number of adverse effects on cardiovascular function and disease risk. Endurance training is efficacious in increasing arterial compliance in healthy adults. We determined the effects of resistance training on carotid arterial compliance using the intervention study design. Methods and Results— Twenty-eight healthy men 20 to 38 years old were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=14) and the control group (n=14). Control subjects were instructed not to alter their normal activity levels throughout the study period. Intervention subjects underwent 3 supervised resistance training sessions per week for 4 months and detraining for a subsequent 4 months. The resistance training increased maximal strength in all muscle groups tested ( P <0.001). There were no significant differences in baseline arterial compliance and β-stiffness index between the intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, carotid arterial compliance decreased 19% ( P <0.05), and β-stiffness index increased 21% ( P <0.01) after resistance training. These values returned completely to the baseline levels during the detraining period. Arterial compliance did not change in the control group. In both groups, there were no significant changes in brachial and carotid blood pressure, carotid intima-media thickness, lumen diameter, and femoral arterial compliance. Changes in carotid artery compliance were significantly and negatively related to corresponding changes in left ventricular mass index ( r =−0.56, P <0.001) and left ventricular hypertrophy index ( r =−0.68, P <0.001). Conclusions— In marked contrast to the beneficial effect of regular aerobic exercise, several months of resistance training “reduces” central arterial compliance in healthy men.

Brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a promising technique to assess arterial stiffness conveniently. However, it is not known whether baPWV is associated with well-established indices of central arterial stiffness. We determined the relation of baPWV with aortic (carotid-femoral) PWV, leg (femoral-ankle) PWV, and carotid augmentation index (AI) by using both cross-sectional and interventional approaches. First, we studied 409 healthy adults aged 18–76 years. baPWV correlated significantly with aortic PWV (r=0.76), leg PWV (r=0.76), and carotid AI (r=0.52). A stepwise regression analysis revealed that aortic PWV was the primary independent correlate of baPWV, explaining 58% of the total variance in baPWV. Additional 23% of the variance was explained by leg PWV. Second, 13 sedentary healthy men were studied before and after a 16-week moderate aerobic exercise intervention (brisk walking to jogging; 30–45 min/day; 4–5 days/week). Reductions in aortic PWV observed with the exercise intervention were significantly and positively associated with the corresponding changes in baPWV (r=0.74). A stepwise regression analysis revealed that changes in aortic PWV were the only independent correlate of changes in baPWV (β=0.74), explaining 55% of the total variance. These results suggest that baPWV may provide qualitatively similar information to those derived from central arterial stiffness although some portions of baPWV may be determined by peripheral arterial stiffness.

Provide significant muscle strength and hypertrophy. One concern, however, is that BFR during exercise may place unnecessary burden on those with compromised cardiac function. Methods: We determined the impact of leg BFR during walking on cardiovascular function in 17 young (26 ± 1 yr) healthy volunteers. Each subject underwent five bouts of 2-min treadmill walking at 2 miles·h−1 with 1-min interval either with or without tourniquet cuffs inflated on both thighs. Results: Heart rate increased more during the BFR session, whereas stroke volume decreased greater during the BFR session. Blood pressure increased significantly and substantially during the BFR session. Consequently, an increase in double product, an index of myocardial oxygen demand, was more than threefold higher in the BFR condition. Systemic arterial compliance evaluated by stroke volume/pulse pressure ratio significantly increased during the control session by 14% but reduced during the BFR condition by 19%. Popliteal artery flow-mediated vasodilation decreased significantly after the exercise with BFR but not after the control session. Conclusions: Even at low intensity, the aerobic exercise with BFR requires a greater cardiac work and decreases endothelial function. Limb BFR during exercise may need to be more cautiously prescribed to those with compromised cardiac conditions....

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