Unilateral Exercise and Bilateral Vascular Health in Female Tennis Players and Active Controls

Blood pressure (BP), interarm differences (IAD) in BP, and arterial stiffness (AS) are related to cardiovascular disease risk and are attenuated by exercise training. While active, tennis players (TP) experience bilateral differences in shear stress, and thus vascular function due to the unilateral nature of the sport. However, it is unknown if this translates into attenuated bilateral differences in peripheral blood pressure (pBP), estimated central blood pressure (cBP), and AS, which could provide insight into the local versus systemic effects of exercise training on BP in women. Purpose: to evaluate bilateral differences in pBP, cBP, and AS in Division III female college TP and healthy recreationally active (RA) age- and sex-matched controls. Methods: In a parallel design, TP (n = 10) and RA controls (n = 10) were assessed for anthropometrics, body composition, and bilateral BP measurements using oscillometric cuff technique. Results: TP and RA were well-matched for body weight, body fat percentage, and BMI (all, p > 0.69). Interaction of arm and group, and effects of arm, or group were insignificant for pSBP and pDBP (all, p > 0.137). IAD in pSBP tended lower in TP (p = 0.096, d = 0.8), but IAD in cSBP was lower (p = 0.040, d = 0.8). Augmentation pressure and index were different between arms (p = 0.02), but no interactions (group by arm) were observed (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In groups well-matched for age and body composition, TP tended to have lower BP and IAD in pSBP, but cSBP revealed ~50% lower IAD in TP. Thus, measurement site and exercise training matter when assessing arterial stiffness and interarm differences in BP.