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An Acute Bout of Aquatic Treadmill Exercise Induces Greater Improvements in Endothelial Function and Postexercise
Dustin P Joubert1, Jorge Z Granados, Jonathan M Oliver
1From the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas (DPJ); Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (JZG, CRW, SER, SFC); Department of Kinesiology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas (JMO); Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (BLN); and Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, Texas (PWG).
Objective:
The purpose of the study was to compare acute bouts of aquatic treadmill (ATM) and land treadmill (LTM) exercise on flow-mediated dilation, postexercise blood pressure, plasma nitrate/nitrite, and atrial natriuretic peptide in untrained, prehypertensive men.
Design:
In a counterbalanced, crossover design, 19 untrained, prehypertensive men completed bouts of ATM and LTM on separate days. Flow-mediated dilation was measured pre-exercise and 1-hr postexercise. Blood samples were obtained pre-exercise and immediately postexercise and analyzed for plasma nitrate/nitrite and atrial natriuretic peptide. A magnitude-based inference approach to inference was used for statistical analysis.
Results:
A possible clinically beneficial increase in flow-mediated dilation (1.2%, 90% confidence interval = -0.07% to 2.5%) was observed 1 hr after ATM. In contrast, a possible clinically harmful decrease in flow-mediated dilation (-1.3%, 90% confidence interval = -2.7% to 0.2%) was observed 1 hr after LTM. The magnitude of the postexercise systolic blood pressure reduction was greater after ATM (-4.9, SD = 2.9 mm Hg) than LTM (-2.6, SD = 2.5 mm Hg). Atrial natriuretic peptide increased 34.3 (SD = 47.0%) after ATM and decreased -9.0 (SD = 40.0%) after LTM.
Conclusions:
An acute bout of ATM induced a more favorable endothelial response and greater postexercise hypotensive response than LTM. These changes were associated with increased atrial natriuretic peptide levels after ATM.
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