Effects of 8 weeks of supervised aerobic or resistance exercise on blood pressure and vascular function in black vs white individuals without overt cardiovascular disease

Hypothesis: 8 weeks of supervised resistance exercise will reduce blood pressure and improve vascular function Methods: We prospectively recruited 59 adult men and women (BMI 30.8 ± 5.1, SBP 124 ± 12 mmHg, DBP 78 ± 10mmHg) who were randomized to either aerobic exercise (AE, 65-85% heart rate reserve, n = 27) or resistance exercise (RT, 8-12 repetitions at 65-85% 10RM, n = 32) for 30-45 minutes 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Peripheral blood pressure was assessed by oscillometry. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed via VO 2 peak. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity and analysis. Results: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased overall (∆4.1; ∆2.9 mmHg, respectively; p < 0.05) without significant interaction effects from age, ethnicity, or training type. Pulse wave analysis demonstrated significant improvements in augmentation index normalized for heart rate (AIx 75 ∆ -3.6%, p = 0.018). Pulse wave velocity was reduced but did not reach significance (∆ -0.2 m/s, p = 0.05). In an unadjusted model, Peak VO 2 did not significantly change although older age did significantly predict a negative change in VO 2 (β = -0.188, r 2 = 0.181, p <0.01). Conclusion: Eight weeks of supervised exercise improved blood pressure and vascular function. Arterial stiffness was reduced following exercise training with either intervention. This study suggests that adults can improve their cardiovascular health using either resistance or aerobic training programs. NIH 5R01HL130513 This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.