Effect of strength training on arterial stiffness

Abstract

Objective: To analyze clinical studies and trials that evaluated the effects of strength training on arterial stiffness. Methods: A review was conducted in Medline and SciELO, with no restriction on the year of publication. Based on the analysis of titles and abstracts, potentially relevant studies were identified, and ten of these were selected. Results: Eight studies evaluated young adults, and the other two, middle-aged and elderly subjects. Most of the studies showed maintenance or an increase of arterial stiffness after strength training, and in only one study was a reduction observed. Out of the six studies using high-intensity training, five showed an increase in arterial stiffness. Conclusion: It is suggested that the characteristics of individual subjects and of the training protocols may modulate arterial stiffness response to strength training. Thus, high-intensity training seems to have the influence of increasing arterial stiffness, whereas low- or moderate-intensity protocols are associated more with arterial stiffness maintenance or reduction.