De-Stiffening the Aged Aorta with Regular Aerobic Exercise in Humans: Fact or Fallacy?

Short-term aerobic exercise interventions 2-3 days/week at moderate intensity initiated in middle age or older age have small or no favorable blood pressure-independent effect on aortic wall stiffness. In contrast, 4-5 days/week appears to be the minimal obligatory dose of aerobic exercise to have some de-stiffening effects if performed during middle age and continuing into older age. Short-term HIIT provides no greater de-stiffening effects on the aged aorta than continuous aerobic exercise training.