Exercise training hypotension: implications for plasma volume, renin, and vasopressin

To determine the function of changes in plasma volume (PV), plasma renin activity (PRA), and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the mechanism of the reduction of resting blood pressure during exercise training, resting supine, sitting, and standing systolic (SBP) and 5th-phase diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were measured in 10 men (19-24 yr) before and after an 8-day (2 h/day) training period on a cycle ergometer. The control group (5 men) exercised at 1.4 1/min [44% peak O2 uptake (VO2 max)] at 23.8 degrees C Tdb and 50% rh, and the acclimation group at 1.5 1/min (46% VO2 max) at 39.8 degrees C Tdb and 50% rh. After acclimation, resting supine and sitting DPB decreased (P less than 0.05) by 6 and 9 mmHg, respectively. There were no significant changes in DBP in the controls or in SBP in either group. After training, PV increased by 12.2% in controls and by 17.6% after acclimation. The resting hypotension could not be attributed to changes in resting levels of PV, AVP, or PRA. However, large decreases in PV and large increases in AVP and especially PRA during acclimation exposures suggest these responses may play a role in the chronic hypotensive response.