Integrated hemodynamic and autonomic responses following aerobic versus resistance exercise in young Black men

Acute cardiovascular recovery from exercise remains poorly characterized in young Black men, a population at elevated cardiovascular risk. Therefore, we compared integrated hemodynamic and cardiac autonomic responses following aerobic (AE) versus resistance exercise (RE) in this group.

Fifteen Black men (18-29 years) completed counterbalanced bouts of AE (30 min cycling, 65% of peak heart rate) and RE (six barbell exercises, 3 × 10 repetitions, 95% of 10-repetition maximum). Supine pulse wave analysis assessed augmentation index normalized to 75 bpm (AIx75), wave-reflection components, subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), and central and brachial blood pressure before and at 5, 15, and 30 min post-exercise. HR and the natural log of the root mean square of successive differences (LnRMSSD) were derived from electrocardiography.

Exercise duration and mean HR were similar between modes (Ps > 0.05), whereas peak HR was higher during RE (P < 0.01). RE produced larger and more sustained elevations in AIx75 and wave-reflection indices, greater reductions in SEVR and central and brachial diastolic blood pressure, and higher HR with lower LnRMSSD throughout recovery compared with AE (mode × time interactions, all P < 0.001). Mode differences persisted independent of peak HR.

In young Black men, RE induces a more pronounced and sustained cardiovascular and autonomic strain during the early post-exercise period than AE, characterized by elevated central afterload, reduced myocardial oxygen supply-demand balance, and delayed parasympathetic reactivation. These findings offer novel mechanistic insight into modality-specific cardiovascular responses in a high-risk population and support consideration of recovery kinetics in exercise programming.