Key result
Moderate-to-high-intensity resistance training improves strength and hypertrophy over low-intensity but may increase arterial stiffness.
Why the study?
While resistance exercise improves muscle mass and strength, its effects on arterial stiffness remain controversial.
Does resistance training intensity affect arterial stiffness in healthy adults?
Does resistance training intensity affect arterial stiffness in healthy adults?
Low-intensity resistance training maintains or improves arterial stiffness, whereas high-intensity training may increase arterial stiffness despite superior gains in muscle strength.
Supports preferring low-intensity RT to preserve arterial stiffness; leaves open optimal intensity balancing strength gains and vascular safety.
PURPOSE: Resistance exercise is an effective behavioral intervention for improving skeletal muscle mass and strength, and preventing sarcopenia. However, the effects of resistance exercise on arterial stiffness remain controversial. This study aimed to organize and analyze the effects of resistance training intensity on arterial stiffness in healthy adults without overt clinical disease.METHODS: A thorough literature search was conducted to retrieve original research articles between 2000 and 2023 using the PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases.RESULTS: Long-term low-intensity resistance training (RT) was deemed a safe exercise intervention that can maintain or decrease arterial stiffness and increase muscle strength. Moreover, moderate-intensity RT was effective in improving muscle strength and hypertrophy but did not reduce arterial stiffness. High-intensity RT was an excellent intervention for enhancing muscle strength. However, a potential risk of increasing both central and peripheral artery stiffness in young adults was present.CONCLUSIONS: Compared to low-intensity RT, moderate-to-high-intensity RT was more effective in improving muscle strength and hypertrophy, but may increase arterial stiffness.
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Son et al. (2023) conducted a review in Healthy adults. Resistance training was evaluated on Arterial stiffness. Compared to low-intensity resistance training, moderate-to-high-intensity resistance training was more effective in improving muscle strength and hypertrophy, but may increase arterial stiffness.
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