Key result
Heat stress lowers total peripheral resistance and mean arterial BP during isometric exercise, unlike capsaicin.
Why the study?
Heat stress and cutaneous capsaicin application independently reduce resting MAP, but whether combining them alleviates the hypertensive response to isometric exercise to a greater extent was unknown.
Does heat stress combined with capsaicin application reduce the hypertensive response to isometric exercise?
RCT (n=17)
Does heat stress combined with capsaicin application reduce the hypertensive response to isometric exercise?
Heat stress, but not topical capsaicin, lowers mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance during isometric exercise.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Heat stress may blunt pressor responses during isometric exercise independently of capsaicin; leaves open clinical translation and combined interventions in patients.
Heat stress and cutaneous capsaicin application act independently to reduce mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) at rest. The present study investigated whether a mixed intervention might alleviate to a greater extent the hypertensive response to isometric exercise. An end-exercise systolic blood pressure (SBP) lower than 215 mmHg or higher than 220 mmHg was set for the inclusion in the group observed with typical (CON, n = 9) or hypertensive (HRE, n = 8) response to dynamic exercise, respectively. The participants performed four trials held in thermoneutral (TN:23 °C) or hot (HT:33 °C) conditions with capsaicin (CA:4.8 mg·patch−1) or placebo (PL) patches (12 × 18 cm2) applied to their two quadriceps, left pectoralis major and left scapula. The trials comprised: a 5 min baseline period preceding patch application, a 30 min rest period and a 5 min isometric handgrip exercise (20% maximal voluntary contraction, 10.1 ± 1.9 kg). Thermoregulatory and cardiovascular data were analyzed using mixed three-way ANOVA. End-resting MAP and pain sensation were higher in PL-TN (p = 0.008) and CA-HT (p = 0.012), respectively. End-exercise SBP tended to be higher in HRE individuals across environments (p = 0.10). Total peripheral resistance and MAP remained lower in HT across groups (p < 0.05). Despite the alleviating effect of the heat stressor, an augmented burning sensation-induced peripheral vasoconstriction might have blunted the pressure-lowering action of capsaicin.
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Sotiridis et al. (2024) conducted an RCT in Hypertensive response to isometric exercise (n=17). Heat stress and capsaicin patches vs. Thermoneutral (23 °C) and placebo patches was evaluated on Mean arterial blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (p=<0.05). Heat stress lowered total peripheral resistance and mean arterial blood pressure during isometric exercise across groups (p<0.05), whereas capsaicin application did not.
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