Why the study?
Does a single exercise bout at moderate altitude reduce blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive individuals?
Does a single exercise bout at moderate altitude reduce blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive individuals?
A single bout of moderate-altitude exercise transiently lowers blood pressure, with a more pronounced reduction observed in hypertensive individuals.
May transiently normalize BP during moderate-altitude exercise in hypertensives; leaves open need for RCTs before clinical adoption.
Context: Effects of a single bout of exercise at moderate altitude on blood pressure (BP) are largely unknown. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a single exercise bout at moderate altitude on BP. Design: Prospective, observational. Setting: Field study, Alpine mountains. Participants: 127 men, 71 women (138 normotensive, 60 hypertensive). Intervention: Exercise duration: 2.5 ± 0.4 h; 650-m difference in altitude. Main Outcome Measures: BP and heart rate (HR). Results: Hypertensives had (1) higher systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) before exercise ( P < .01), whereas this difference was lost during exercise; (2) increased HR during the entire duration of exercise; and (3) significantly decreased SBP and DBP ( P < .05) throughout the entire period of exercise. Conclusions: Exposure to a single exercise bout at moderate altitude is associated with a transient decrease in SBP and DBP, which is more pronounced in hypertensives.
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Auer et al. (2004) studied this question.
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