Effects of aerobic interval versus continuous aerobic exercise on hemodynamic, metabolic and hormonal profile in young normotensive women offspring of hypertensive parents

Family history of hypertension is associated with early metabolic and hemodynamic abnormalities. Exercise training has an important role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension, but the hemodynamic, metabolic and hormonal adaptations to exercise training has not been studied in subjects with family history of hypertension. We compared the effects of aerobic interval (IT) and continuous exercise training (CT) on hemodynamic, metabolic and hormonal variables in offspring of hypertensive subjects. Fiftynine healthy women offspring of hypertensive subjects, randomized to IT (n: 16; 24.4±3.8 years), CT (n: 16; 26.6±4.9 years) or control group (CFH+; n: 12), and 15 young women with normotensive parents (CFH-) had their ambulatorial blood pressure (ABP), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and biochemistry (total cholesterol and fractions, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio) analyzed before and after a 16- week follow-up. BP, nor-epinephrine (NE), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels were also analyzed during a graded exercise test (GXT). Exercise training was performed three times-a-week for 40 minutes at 65% of VO2PEAK (CT) or alternating 2 minutes at 55% with 1 minute at 85% VO2PEAK (IT). ABP, glucose and cholesterol levels were similar among all groups, but the 3 groups with positive family history of hypertension displayed increased insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio, PWV, NE and ET-1, and decreased NOx when compared to CFH-. The 2 exercise groups were equally effective in improving ABP, insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio; however, IT was superior to CT at improving PWV and cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as the BP, NE, ET-1 and NOx during the GXT. After the follow-up, IT group displayed insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio, PWV, NE and ET-1 decreased and NOx increased than the CFH+, but only ET-1 was decreased in CT than CFH+. In conclusion, both exercise training programs improved hemodynamic...