Key result
Once-weekly resistance training increases carotid peak circumferential strain and systolic strain rate in healthy females.
Why the study?
Exercise delays arterial decline in middle-aged females, but participation declines with age, leaving unclear whether low-frequency resistance training alters arterial function.
Does once-weekly resistance exercise improve carotid and brachial arterial function in inactive middle-aged females?
Does once-weekly resistance exercise improve carotid and brachial arterial function in inactive middle-aged females?
Effect estimate: ηp² = 0.37
p-value: p=0.012
Once-weekly resistance training for 12 weeks improves carotid strain and strain rate under physiological stimulation in healthy middle-aged females, highlighting the utility of 2D strain imaging for detecting arterial function changes.
Should not yet alter once-weekly resistance-training advice; leaves open causal arterial benefits pending randomized trials.
Exercise delays arterial decline in middle‑aged females, yet participation declines with age. We assessed whether 12-weeks of low‑frequency resistance training alters carotid and brachial arterial function in inactive middle‑aged females. Sixteen inactive middle-aged females (57 ± 3 years; V̇O 2peak : 25.3 ± 5.3 ml.kg.min −1 ) performed once-weekly resistance exercise for 12-weeks. At pre- and post-intervention, ultrasound measured common carotid artery function via conventional (β 1 stiffness index and Peterson’s elastic modulus), and two-dimensional strain (peak circumferential strain and systolic strain rate). The common carotid artery was measured at rest, during, and after a three-minute isometric handgrip exercise, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was assessed at rest. Data were analysed using a paired sample t-test (intervention only at rest), and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (intervention and handgrip response). Resting peak circumferential strain (%; P = 0.64) and systolic strain rate (s −1 ; P = 0.67) did not change pre-post intervention. However, peak circumferential strain across isometric handgrip conditions increased post intervention (rest: 4.67 ± 0.87 vs 4.87 ± 1.42; during 3.62 ± 1.40 vs 4.48 ± 1.17; and after handgrip: 3.78 ± 1.29 vs 4.87 ± 1.24; P = 0.012). Systolic strain rate across conditions also increased post intervention (rest: 0.365 ± 0.078 vs 0.394 ± 0.101; during 0.280 ± 0.107 vs 0.329 ± 0.089; and after handgrip: 0.294 ± 0.109 vs 0.371 ± 0.095; P = 0.009). β 1 stiffness index ( P = 0.64), Peterson’s elastic modulus ( P = 0.08), and brachial flow-mediated dilation ( P = 0.82) did not change pre-post intervention when measured at rest and during conditions. Once-weekly resistance training improves carotid strain and strain rate in healthy middle-aged females, with effects evident under physiological stimulation. We support claims that two-dimensional strain detects arterial function changes that conventional measures may overlook.
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Campbell et al. (2026) studied Healthy, inactive (n=16). Low-frequency resistance training vs. Pre-intervention baseline was evaluated on Peak circumferential strain across isometric handgrip conditions (ηp² = 0.37, p=0.012). Once-weekly resistance training for 12 weeks significantly increased carotid peak circumferential strain (P=0.012) and systolic strain rate (P=0.009) during physiological stimulation in healthy females.
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