Resistance training improves cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women

Comparison of the Cardiovascular Benefits of Resistance, Aerobic, and Combined Exercise (CardioRACE): Rationale, design, and methods

BACKGROUND

The benefits of aerobic exercise (AE) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been well documented. Resistance exercise (RE) has been traditionally examined for its effects on bone density, physical function, or metabolic health, yet few data exist regarding the benefits of RE, independent of and combined with AE, for CVD prevention. This randomized controlled trial, "Comparison of the Cardiovascular Benefits of Resistance, Aerobic, and Combined Exercise (CardioRACE)," is designed to determine the relative benefits of RE, AE, or combined RE plus AE training on CVD risk factors.

METHODS

Participants are 406 inactive men and women (35-70 years) with a body mass index of 25-40 kg/m2 and blood pressure (BP) of 120-139/80-89 mm Hg without taking antihypertensive medications. Participants are randomly assigned to RE only, AE only, combined RE and AE (CE), or a no exercise control group. Participants perform supervised exercise at 50%-80% of their relative maximum intensity for both AE and RE, 3 times a week for 60 minutes per session, for 1 year (all 3 groups are time matched).

RESULTS

The primary outcome is a composite z score including resting BP, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting glucose, and percent body fat, which is assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Diet and outside physical activity are measured throughout the intervention for 1 year.

CONCLUSION

CardioRACE (ClinicalTrials.govNCT03069092) will fill an important knowledge gap regarding the effects of RE, alone or in addition to the well-documented effects of AE. CardioRACE will help generate more comprehensive and synergistic clinical and public health strategies to prevent CVD.

Physical activity and fitness for the prevention of hypertension

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this review is to evaluate the most recent literature about the role of physical activity, exercise, and fitness in hypertension prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

Strong evidence indicates that performing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise, and improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) reduce blood pressure (BP) levels and lower hypertension incidence. Although evidence is limited, performing resistance exercise or improving muscular strength appears to be associated with a lower incidence of hypertension. Furthermore, reducing sedentary time or replacing sedentary time with physical activity might lower BP.

SUMMARY

To lower the risk of hypertension, promoting physical activity and improving fitness, especially CRF, should be encouraged. More research is needed to determine the effects of sedentary behavior, resistance exercise, and muscle strength on the development of hypertension across diverse populations and settings. Future studies should focus on dose-response relationships of exercise and physical activity with the development of hypertension to determine the minimal and optimal amount of exercise and physical activity for hypertension prevention.

Effects of concurrent exercise on cardiometabolic status during perimenopause: the FLAMENCO Project

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a 4-month concurrent exercise training program on cardiometabolic status in perimenopausal women.

METHODS

The participants (n = 150) were randomized into counseling (n = 75) and exercise (n = 75) groups. The exercise group followed 4-month (3 days/week, 60 min/session) concurrent training. The counseling group attended conferences on a healthy lifestyle. We determined plasma glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, and C-reactive protein, and measured blood pressure and the resting heart rate.

RESULTS

In the per-protocol analyses, the exercise group showed lower LDL-C concentrations than the counseling group when the model was further adjusted for the baseline values and diet (10.2 mg/dl; 95% confidence interval -19.4, -0.96; p = 0.031). Borderline significant total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure were reduced in both groups with better results in exercise group (p = 0.068 and p = 0.090, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The present findings suggest that the concurrent exercise training program could improve plasma glucose, lipid profile, CRP, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the exercise group. These results also suggest the importance of a healthy diet and active behavior during menopause, as improvements in both the exercise and the counseling group were observed. Future analysis should combine both interventions in search of better results.