Is Cardiovascular Health Affected by Exercise Type and Impact?

The principal aim of this study was to determine whether cardiovascular health, assessed by systolic and diastolic blood pressure and resting heart rate, was affected by exercise (golf vs. tennis) and associated impact (low vs. high). Male and female golfers (n = 40) tennis players (n = 40) aged between 40 and 71 years completed a short questionnaire to their main sport and typical exercise habits. Resting blood pressure and heart rate were then taken using an electronic wrist sphygmomanometer. The analysis of (General Linear Model) showed that overall there were no significant differences in the resting systolic or diastolic blood pressure, or resting heart rate, of golfers and players. However, a significant increase in systolic blood pressure with age (F = 10.48, p = 0.002) was observed in golfers, compared with no significant age-related in blood pressure in tennis players. In conclusion, exercise type and impact to have no effect on cardiovascular health in the 40 to 71 year olds age group, but impact exercise may have a protective effect against age-related increases in blood which requires further investigation.