Effect Of A Short-Term Intermittent Exercise-Training Programme On The Pulse Wave Velocity And Arterial Pressure: A Prospective Study Among 71 Healthy Older Subjects

Aims of the study: Stiffening of large arteries has been associated with increased cardiovascular outcomes among older subjects. Endurance exercises might attenuate artery stiffness, but little is known about the effects of intermittent training programme. We evaluate the effect of a short Intermittent Work Exercise Training Program (IWEP) on arterial stiffness estimated by the measure of the pulse wave velocity (PWV). Methods and subjects: Seventy-one healthy volunteers (mean age: 64.6years) free of symptomatic cardiac and pulmonary disease performed a 9-week IWEP that consisted of a 30-min cycling twice a week over a 9-week period. Each session involved six 5-min bouts of exercise, each of the latter separated into 4-min cycling at the first ventilatory threshold alternated with 1-min cycling at 90% of the pretraining maximal tolerated power. Before and after the IWEP, the following measurements were made: carotidradial PWV and carotidfemoral PWV with a tonometer and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Results: Training resulted in a non-significant decrease of the carotidradial PWV, a significant decrease of the carotidfemoral PWV from 10.2 to 9.6m/s (p<0.001) (that was no longer significant after adjustment for mean arterial pressure) and a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, from 129.6 +/- 14.9mmHg to 120.1 +/- 14.1mmHg (p<0.001) and from 77.2 +/- 8.8mmHg to 71.4 +/- 10.1mmHg (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present results support the idea that a short-term intermittent aerobic exercise programme may be an effective lifestyle intervention for reducing rapidly blood pressure and probably central arterial stiffness among older healthy subjects.