Effects of Chronic Resistance Exercise on Carotid Arterial Compliance in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Objective:To determine the effects of chronic resistance training in different intensity load on carotid arterial compliance (CAC) in middle-aged and older male and female, in order to provide scientific theoretical basis for fitness exercise prescription of different populations. Methods:Selected men (n=47) and women (n=43) aged 50⁶0years old from healthy volunteers who had no smoking and exercise history in half a year, to randomly divided into 4 experiment-groups, who participated in a 32-weeks resistance training program for 3times a week.Carotid arterial compliance andβ-stiffness index were determined before and after resistive training in every 2months.Compared and analyzed the differences between sets of data in different times by three-factor variance analysis and post hoc multiple comparisons test.Results:1) Under moderate-intensity load, CAC decreased significantly compared with that before training (P<0.05) .The lowered range of CAC had significant difference in time of S2-S0 and S4-S2, which was obviously higher in male than female (P<0.05) .Besides, β-stiffness index increased significantly compared with that before training (P<0.05) .The increasing amplitude had significant difference in time of S2-S0 and S4-S2, which was obviously higher in male than female (P<0.05) .2) Under low-intensity load, CAC in different times did not decrease significantly compared with that before training (P>0.05) , but only a higher trend of lowered range in male than female.Besides, β-stiffness index in different times did not increase significantly compared with that before training (P>0.05) , but only a higher trend of increasing amplitude in male than female.Conclusions:1) Chronic resistance exercise in moderate-intensity load decreased carotid arterial compliance in middle-aged and older adults in the first four months, which was more obvious in male than female.2) The influential effect of chronic resistance exercise in moderate-intensity load on stiffness of arteries in middle-aged and older adults gradually diminished with the extension of training time, and carotid arterial compliance did not reduce significantly after four months.3) Chronic resistance exercise in low-intensity load did not accelerate stiffness of arteries and the reduction of carotid arterial compliance with age growth in middle-aged and older adults.