Aerobic training conducted at different times of day in elderly patients with hypertension: a controlled trial

Previous data showed greater blood pressure (BP) reduction after aerobic training performed in the evening than in the morning in middle-aged hypertensive men. This study investigated whether the time of day in which aerobic training is performed also influences BP, hemodynamics, and vascular function in elderly hypertensives. In this controlled trial, 54 elderly patients receiving antihypertensive medication (≥ 60 years, 26 women) were randomized to one of the following groups: morning training (MT, n = 19), evening training (ET, n = 18), or control (CG, n = 17). For 10 weeks, they underwent the proposed interventions, consisting of progressive moderate-intensity aerobic training in MT (7-10 A.M.) and ET (5-8 P.M.), and passive stretching in CG (half of the patients in each time of the day). Assessments included BP, systemic hemodynamics (cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance), and vascular parameters (carotid intima-media thickness, arterial stiffness, brachial vascular conductance, and endothelial function) measured before and after the interventions. Aerobic capacity improved only and similarly in both training groups (P = 0.035), while no significant changes were observed in BP, systemic hemodynamics, or vascular parameters in either group (all, P > 0.05). The effects of the interventions adjusted for the pre-intervention values also showed no differences among the groups (all, P > 0.05). Thus, in medicated elderly hypertensives, 10 weeks of aerobic training, whether performed in the morning or evening, improved cardiorespiratory fitness but did not reduce BP nor modify systemic hemodynamics and vascular function. These findings suggest population-specific responses to aerobic training in hypertension.