IMR Press / RCM / Volume 25 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2504139
Open Access Original Research
Effects of Exercise Interventions on Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity and Mean Arterial Pressure in Overweight Adults: The Role of Modality
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1 Department of Exercise Physiology, College of Sport Sciences and Physical Activity, King Saud University, 80200 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Sports Coaching, College of Physical Education, Kyung Hee University-Global Campus, 17014 Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
3 Department of Sport and Exercise, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
*Correspondence: aalansare@ksu.edu.sa (Abdullah B. Alansare)
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024, 25(4), 139; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2504139
Submitted: 24 September 2023 | Revised: 28 February 2024 | Accepted: 7 March 2024 | Published: 8 April 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) is mathematically calculated from age and mean arterial pressure (MAP). We examined the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on ePWV and MAP in insufficiently active overweight adults. Methods: Using the randomized controlled trial design, thirteen males (27.46 ± 3.80 years old; body mass index (BMI) = 29.61 ± 5.52) randomly completed either two-week HIIT (n = 7) or MICT (n = 6). HIIT consisted of 8 sessions of cycling, 20 min/session with an exercise-to-rest ratio of 10/50 s at 90% peak heart rate (HRpeak). MICT consisted of 8 cycling sessions, 40 min/session at 60–75% HRpeak. Oscillometric brachial MAP was measured pre- and post-intervention, and ePWV was calculated. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance examined the effects of time, intervention, and their interactions on ePWV and MAP. Results: Significant time effects were observed for ePWV and MAP, where both measures comparably decreased over time in HIIT and MICT groups (p < 0.05 for all). However, no significant intervention or interaction effects were detected, indicating no superiority of either exercise modality for ePWV or MAP improvements. Conclusions: This study uniquely revealed that two weeks of HIIT or MICT resulted in significant, comparable, and clinically meaningful decreases in ePWV and MAP among insufficiently active overweight adults. As such, overweight adults who have time as a constraint to engage in traditional exercise (i.e., MICT) can accomplish comparable vascular benefits by performing HIIT.

Keywords
HIIT
MICT
arterial stiffness
blood pressure
vascular health
Figures
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