Objective: To verify if acute intake of beetroot juice potentiates post-exercise hypotension (PEH) in hypertensive postmenopausal women. Methods: Thirteen hypertensive postmenopausal women (58.1 ± 4.62 years and 27.4 ± 4.25 kg/m²) were recruited to participate in three experimental sessions, taking three different beverages: Beetroot juice (BJ), placebo nitrate-depleted BJ (PLA), and orange flavored non-caloric drink (OFD). The participants performed moderate aerobic exercise training on a treadmill, at 65–70% of heart rate reserve (HRR), for 40 min. After an overnight fast, the protocol started at 07h when the first resting blood pressure (BP) was measured. The beverage was ingested at 07h30 and BP was monitored until the exercise training started, at 09h30. After the end of the exercise session, BP was measured every 15 min over a 90-min period. Saliva samples were collected at rest, immediately before and after exercise, and 90 min after exercise for nitrite (NO₂⁻) analysis. Results: There was an increase in salivary NO₂⁻ with BJ intake when compared to OFD and PLA. A slight increase in salivary NO₂⁻ was observed with PLA when compared to OFD (p < 0.05), however, PLA resulted in lower salivary NO₂⁻ when compared to BJ (p < 0.001). There were no changes in salivary NO₂⁻ with the OFD. Systolic and diastolic BP decreased (p < 0.001) on all post exercise time points after all interventions, with no difference between the three beverages. Conclusion: Acute BJ intake does not change PEH responses in hypertensive postmenopausal women, even though there is an increase in salivary NO₂⁻.

Background: Exercise and supplementation with isoflavones are therapies used to prevent and treat climacteric symptoms. Aim: To verify the effects of 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training and isoflavone supplementation on climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women. Methods: A randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was performed. A total of 32 postmenopausal women, aged 54.4 ± 5.4 years, with a body mass index of 26.6 ± 3.0 kg/m² and 5.6 ± 4.6 years after menopause, were randomly assigned to groups: placebo and exercise (PLA + EXE, n = 15) or 100 mg of isoflavone and exercise (ISO + EXE, n = 17). At the beginning and after 10 weeks of aerobic + resistance (20 min each, moderate intensity) training, climacteric symptoms were evaluated using the Blatt–Kupperman Menopausal Index, Cervantes Scale and Menopause Rating Scale. ANCOVA was used for analysis between groups and at different times, with the covariate adjusted by the pre-value. The level of significance considered was p < 0.05. Results: A reduction in climacteric symptoms was observed in both groups, without differences between the interventions. The reductions were 45% and 50% for the Blatt–Kupperman Menopausal Index, 41% and 52% for the MRS and 39% and 39% for the Cervantes Scale in the ISO + EXE and PLA + EXE groups, respectively. In the descriptive analysis of the Blatt–Kupperman Menopausal Index values, there was an increase in the absence of symptoms from 48−77% in the ISO + EXE group and 24−58% in the PLA + EXE group. Conclusions: A period of 10 weeks of combined training was effective in improving climacteric symptoms in post-menopausal women. However, isoflavone supplementation did not promote additional effects in improving symptoms.

Aim: This study aimed to verify and compare the effects of 10 weeks of combined exercise training on the heart rate variability of normotensive (NT) and hypertensive (HT) postmenopausal women. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental controlled clinical trial. Therefore, 14 HT and 12 NT postmenopausal women completed 10 weeks of combined exercise training. The exercise protocol consisted of 45 min of exercise, performed 3 times a week, consisting of 5 min of warm-up, 20 min of resistance exercise, and 20 min of aerobic exercise. Heart rate variability assessments were performed before and after the end of physical training. Results: Heart rate variability was assessed pre- and post-training periods. Mean RR (δNT = 95 ± 88; δHT = 38 ± 127), SDNN (δNT = 9 ± 13; δHT = 3 ± 14), RMSSD (δNT = 10 ± 12; δHT = 2 ± 18), SD1 (δNT = 7 ± 8; δHT = 1 ± 13), and SD2 (δNT = 10 ± 18; δHT = 4 ± 17) showed improvements after the intervention (time effects p < 0.05). No parameters presented group or interaction effects (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: In summary, 10 weeks of combined exercise training improved heart rate variability parameters similarly in both NT and HT postmenopausal women. Therefore, combined exercise training may be used to improve autonomic modulation of the heart rate of postmenopausal women, regardless of the presence of hypertension.

Introdução: Após a menopausa mulheres tem maior risco de desenvolver doenças cardiovasculares. A prática de exercício físico é um dos tratamentos para e redução da incidência dessas doenças, e o método Pilates consiste em um programa completo de condicionamento físico. Objetivos: Verificar as respostas da Monitorização Ambulatorial da Pressão Arterial (MAPA) e da Variabilidade da Pressão Arterial após uma única sessão de Mat Pilates em mulheres após a menopausa não obesas. Métodos: Este é um estudo cruzado randomizado com 15 mulheres pós-menopáusicas normotensas, que participaram de uma única sessão de Mat Pilates e de uma sessão de controle. A sessão de Pilates durou 50 minutos, com 5 minutos de aquecimento. Em cada exercício, houve 1 série de 10 repetições com 45 segundos de descanso entre as séries. A sessão controle teve a mesma duração, mas as voluntárias permaneciam sentadas. A MAPA foi avaliada durante 24 horas após a intervenção. Estatística: Utilizou-se ANOVA de dois fatores com post hoc de Newman-Keuls para análise das variáveis da MAPA e teste t de Student para análise da variabilidade de pressão arterial. Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa (p <0,05) nas respostas da pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica durante 24h, vigília e sono ou em sua variabilidade entre as sessões de Pilates e Controle. Conclusão: O Mat Pilates não reduziu os valores pressóricos da MAPA ou sua variabilidade em mulheres após a menopausa não obesas.