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Influence of different doses of coffee on post-exercise blood pressure response
Alesandra A Souza1, Raquel Sb Silva1, Tais F Silva1
1Laboratory of Physical Training Study Applied to Performance and Health, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba João Pessoa, Brazil.
Insights
Caffeine from coffee, particularly two or three doses, significantly reduces or eliminates post-exercise hypotension (PEH) in hypertensive individuals. Decaffeinated coffee did not prevent this blood pressure drop after exercise.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Exercise Science
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Postexercise hypotension (PEH) is a significant reduction in blood pressure following physical activity.
- Previous research suggests caffeine may abolish PEH, but dose-dependent effects require further investigation.
- Hypertension is a condition characterized by elevated blood pressure, making PEH management crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying doses of coffee on postexercise hypotension (PEH) in hypertensive individuals.
- To determine the specific effects of caffeinated versus decaffeinated coffee on blood pressure regulation after aerobic exercise.
Main Methods:
- Twelve hypertensive participants underwent four exercise sessions involving a 40-minute aerobic workout.
- Following exercise, participants consumed one, two, or three doses of caffeinated coffee, or three doses of decaffeinated coffee.
- Blood pressure was monitored at rest and every 10 minutes for 120 minutes post-exercise.
Main Results:
- Decaffeinated coffee showed a significant systolic PEH, averaging -4.1 mmHg after 1 hour and -1.8 mmHg after 2 hours.
- One dose of caffeinated coffee partially blunted PEH, with mixed hypotensive and hypertensive responses.
- Two and three doses of caffeinated coffee completely eliminated systolic PEH, resulting in a hypertensive response post-exercise.
Conclusions:
- Ingesting two or three doses of caffeinated coffee effectively eliminates postexercise hypotension in hypertensive individuals.
- One dose of caffeinated coffee partially reduces PEH, while decaffeinated coffee does not prevent it.
- Caffeine consumption, particularly at higher doses, plays a key role in modulating blood pressure responses after exercise in hypertensive patients.
Abstract:
The reduction in blood pressure after the physical exercise practice is called postexercise hypotension (PEH). Previous studies have demonstrated that the ingestion of caffeine at levels corresponding to three doses of coffee eliminates this phenomenon. Thus, we evaluated the influence of different doses of coffee in the PEH in twelve hypertensives, who performed four experimental sessions of aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer (lasting 40 minutes, with intensity between 60% and 80% of maximum heart rate), followed by the ingestion of one (CAF-1), two (CAF-2), or three (CAF-3) doses of caffeinated coffee, or three doses of decaffeinated coffee (DESC). The blood pressure was measured at rest and at 10-minute intervals during 120 minutes of recovery post exercise. DESC resulted in systolic PEH at all moments of measurement, with averages of -4.1±1.2 mmHg and -1.8±1.3 mmHg on the 1st and 2nd hours post exercise, respectively. In CAF-1, both systolic hypotensive and hypertensive responses to the exercise were identified, with averages of -1.2±1.7 and 0.5±0.4 mmHg after one and two hours of recovery. Conversely, hypertensive systolic response occurred in all measurements compared rest blood pressure. The 1st and 2nd hours post exercise was 4.5±1.1 and 6.5+1.1 mmHg in CAF-2 and 5.1+0.9 and 6.5+1.0 mmHg to CAF-3. Diastolic PEH was not found in any of the experimental sessions. Therefore, the ingestion of two and three doses of caffeinated coffee completely blunts the PEH, while one dose results in partial elimination of the PEH.
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