Resistance training prevents the cardiovascular changes caused by high-fat diet

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Exercise Science
• Neuroendocrinology

Background:

• Obesity-induced cardiovascular disorders are a growing concern.
• Aerobic exercise is known to mitigate these issues.
• The role of resistance training (RT) in preventing cardiovascular disorders requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if moderate-intensity RT can prevent cardiovascular alterations in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).
• To assess the impact of RT on blood pressure (BP), baroreflex function, and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in HFD-fed rats.
• To examine the effects of RT on cytokine mRNA expression in the nucleus of the tract solitary (NTS).

Main Methods:

• Male Holtzman rats were divided into four groups: sedentary with standard diet (SED-SD), sedentary with HFD (SED-HFD), RT with standard diet (RT-SD), and RT with HFD (RT-HFD).
• RT groups underwent 10 weeks of moderate-intensity training.
• HFD was administered for the final 7 weeks of the study.

Main Results:

• High-fat diet (HFD) increased blood pressure (BP) and sympathetic modulation of systolic BP (SBP), while attenuating baroreflex bradycardic responses.
• Resistance training (RT) effectively prevented these cardiovascular and inflammatory responses induced by HFD.
• RT upregulated anti-inflammatory interleukin-10, angiotensin type 2 receptor, Mas receptor, and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 mRNA expression in the NTS.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-intensity RT is effective in preventing obesity-induced cardiovascular disorders.
• RT mitigates cardiovascular and inflammatory responses associated with high-fat diets.
• RT modulates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and reduces inflammation in the nucleus of the tract solitary (NTS).