Impact of moderate overweight and body composition on postexercise hemodynamic responses in healthy men

Postexercise hypotension (PEH) is a well-established phenomenon that may contribute to the antihypertensive mechanisms of exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of moderate overweight on postexercise hemodynamic responses in a group of healthy nonobese men (n=16, aged 20.4 +/- 1.8 years) with apparently normal cardiovascular function at rest. Forearm blood flow, using strain gauge plethysmography, blood pressure, using a Finapres device, and cardiac output (CO), using impedance cardiography, were measured on a control day and on a separate day following a bout of moderate intensity exercise (20 min at 75% heart rate reserve). Linear regression analysis, adjusted for exercise intensity, revealed that body mass index (BMI) was associated with specific postexercise hemodynamic responses. Higher BMI was associated with greater reductions in CO and stroke volume, but lower reductions in total peripheral resistance. These findings suggest body composition impacts on mechanisms of PEH and should therefore be considered as an important confounding variable in future studies.