Exaggerated blood pressure response to maximal exercise in endurance-trained individuals

Recent studies have suggested that an exaggerated blood pressure response to maximal exercise may be useful in detecting individuals who are prone to developing hypertension in later years. To examine the hypothesis that regular aerobic exercise results in a smaller blood pressure response to maximal exercise, 26 endurance-trained and 31 untrained individuals (matched on age and physical characteristics) performed graded maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer. Trained subjects achieved a significantly (P < .05) higher level of maximal oxygen uptake (mean +/- SE: 59.4 +/- 1.4 v 44.7 +/- 1.0 mL/kg/min), as well as a greater maximal work rate. Although there was no significant difference in resting blood pressure between the groups, endurance-trained individuals demonstrated significantly higher maximal systolic blood pressure levels compared to untrained subjects during maximal exercise (225 +/- 3 v 204 +/- 4 mm Hg). The group differences in systolic blood pressure were also significant (P < .05) at work rates of 180 W and higher. It is concluded that physically active individuals show higher blood pressure responses to maximal exercise, despite their reduced risk of future hypertension. This finding indicates that an exaggerated blood pressure response is not a valid prognostic test to indicate the likelihood of future hypertension in this population.