Journal article
Authors list: Bauer, Pascal; Kraushaar, Lutz; Doerr, Oliver; Nef, Holger; Hamm, Christian W.; Most, Astrid
Publication year: 2021
Pages: 1859-1869
Journal: European Journal of Applied Physiology
Volume number: 121
Issue number: 7
ISSN: 1439-6319
eISSN: 1439-6327
Open access status: Hybrid
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04656-x
Publisher: Springer
Abstract:
Purpose Sex differences in blood pressure (BP) regulation at rest have been attributed to differences in vascular function. Further, arterial stiffness predicts an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise (BPR) in healthy young adults. However, the relationship of vascular function to the workload-indexed BPR and potential sex differences in athletes are unknown. Methods We examined 47 male (21.6 +/- 1.7 years) and 25 female (21.1 +/- 2 years) athletes in this single-center pilot study. We assessed vascular function at rest, including systolic blood pressure (SBP). Further, we determined the SBP/W slope, the SBP/MET slope, and the SBP/W ratio at peak exercise during cycling ergometry. Results Male athletes had a lower central diastolic blood pressure (57 +/- 9.5 vs. 67 +/- 9.5 mmHg, p < 0.001) but a higher central pulse pressure (37 +/- 6.5 vs. 29 +/- 4.7 mmHg, p < 0.001), maximum SBP (202 +/- 20 vs. 177 +/- 15 mmHg, p < 0.001), and Delta SBP (78 +/- 19 vs. 58 +/- 14 mmHg, p < 0.001) than females. Total vascular resistance (1293 +/- 318 vs. 1218 +/- 341 dyn*s/cm(5), p = 0.369), pulse wave velocity (6.2 +/- 0.85 vs. 5.9 +/- 0.58 m/s, p = 0.079), BP at rest (125 +/- 10/76 +/- 7 vs. 120 +/- 11/73.5 +/- 8 mmHg, p > 0.05), and the SBP/MET slope (5.7 +/- 1.8 vs. 5.1 +/- 1.6 mmHg/MET, p = 0.158) were not different. The SBP/W slope (0.34 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.19 mmHg/W) and the peak SBP/W ratio (0.61 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.95 +/- 0.17 mmHg/W) were markedly lower in males than in females (p < 0.001). Conclusion Male athletes displayed a lower SBP/W slope and peak SBP/W ratio than females, whereas the SBP/MET slope was not different between the sexes. Vascular functional parameters were not able to predict the workload-indexed BPR in males and females.
Citation Styles
Harvard Citation style: Bauer, P., Kraushaar, L., Doerr, O., Nef, H., Hamm, C. and Most, A. (2021) Sex differences in workload-indexed blood pressure response and vascular function among professional athletes and their utility for clinical exercise testing, European Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(7), pp. 1859-1869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04656-x
APA Citation style: Bauer, P., Kraushaar, L., Doerr, O., Nef, H., Hamm, C., & Most, A. (2021). Sex differences in workload-indexed blood pressure response and vascular function among professional athletes and their utility for clinical exercise testing. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 121(7), 1859-1869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04656-x
Keywords
ARTERIAL STIFFNESS; Exercise test; MEN; Professional athletes; RECOMMENDATIONS; Sex differences; Vascular function; Workload-indexed blood pressure response
