Aerobic training session length affects arterial elasticity

The purpose of this study was to examine haemodynamic and arterial elasticity responses to aerobic exercise of varying durations.

Eighteen male subjects (age = 23·4 ± 2·0) performed a maximal aerobic fitness (VO_2max ) test. Participants met in the laboratory following an overnight fast for three randomly assigned sessions. Assessments for large and small arterial elasticity (SAE), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), total vascular impedance (TVI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), pulse pressure (PP) and cardiac ejection time (CET) were performed using applanation tonometry at the radial artery. Following baseline measurements, participants executed aerobic exercise on a treadmill at 65% of their respective VO_2max for 30, 45 or 60 min on three different occasions. Postexercise measurements were performed immediately, 10, 20 and 40 min postexercise cessation.

The 60-min exercise bout resulted in significantly increased SAE values (P < 0·04) and decreased SVR values (P < 0·02) when compared with the 30-min exercise bout. The 60-min session also caused significantly higher HR values and significantly lower values for SV and DBP values following exercise (P < 0·04).

The results of this study emphasize that varying the length of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise bouts affects arterial elasticity response and total vascular resistance.