Post-Exercise Reduction of Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Men is Not Due to Acute Impairment of Baroreflex Function

Abstract

1. Two experiments were carried out in male subjects. In the first experiment heart rate and blood pressures were measured before, during and for 90 min after a 50 min period of intermittent exercise in seven hypertensive subjects. After exercise there was a marked reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressures; this effect lasted throughout the 90 min observation period and was unaccompanied by tachycardia. 2. In the second experiment heart rate and blood pressures were measured before and during the rest periods in a 50 min session of intermittent exercise in nine hypertensive and nine normotensive subjects. Following the first 10 min bout of exercise, resting blood pressures were significantly reduced in the hypertensive subjects; the reduction in blood pressure progressively increased following successive exercise periods. The normotensive subjects did not show a significant reduction in resting blood pressures until the fifth bout of exercise had been completed. 3. In the second experiment also, the competence of baroreflexes was assessed by measuring cardiovascular responses to lower body sub-atmospheric pressure (LBSP) 30 min before and 30 and 60 min after exercise. The post-exercise reduction in blood pressure was not due to exercise-induced impairment of baroreflex mechanisms since the reduced blood pressure after exercise was well maintained during lower body sub-atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, after exercise, exposure to lower body subatmospheric pressure elicited greater increases in heart rate and forearm vascular resistance than were seen before exercise.