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Blood Pressure Response and Pulse Arrival Time During Exercise Testing in Well-Trained Individuals

Abstract

Introduction: There is a lack of data describing the blood pressure response (BPR) in well-trained individuals. In addition, continuous bio-signal measurements are increasingly investigated to overcome the limitations of intermittent cuff-based BP measurements during exercise testing. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the BPR in well-trained individuals during a cycle ergometer test with a particular focus on the systolic BP (SBP) and to investigate pulse arrival time (PAT) as a continuous surrogate for SBP during exercise testing.

Materials and Methods: Eighteen well-trained male cyclists were included (32.4 ± 9.4 years; maximal oxygen uptake 63 ± 10 ml/min/kg) and performed a stepwise lactate threshold test with 5-minute stages, followed by a continuous test to voluntary exhaustion with 1-min increments when cycling on an ergometer. BP was measured with a standard automated exercise BP cuff. PAT was measured continuously with a non-invasive physiological measurements device (IsenseU) and metabolic consumption was measured continuously during both tests.

Results: At lactate threshold (281 ± 56 W) and maximal intensity test (403 ± 61 W), SBP increased from resting values of 136 ± 9 mmHg to maximal values of 219 ± 21 mmHg and 231 ± 18 mmHg, respectively. Linear within-participant regression lines between PAT and SBP showed a mean r2 of 0.81 ± 17.

Conclusion: In the present study focusing on the BPR in well-trained individuals, we observed a more exaggerated systolic BPR than in comparable recent studies. Future research should follow up on these findings to clarify the clinical implications of the high BPR in well-trained individuals. In addition, PAT showed strong intra-individual associations, indicating potential use as a surrogate SBP measurement during exercise testing.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Sondre Heimark
  • Ingrid Eitzen
  • Isabella Vianello
  • Kasper Bøtker-Rasmussen
  • Asgeir Mamen
  • Ole Marius Hoel Rindal
  • Bård Waldum-Grevbo
  • Øyvind Sandbakk
  • Trine Margrethe Seeberg

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Digital / Smart Sensors and Microsystems
  • Aalborg University
  • Kristiania University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Oslo
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • Oslo University Hospital

Year

2022

Published in

Frontiers in Physiology

Volume

13

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository