Muscular Strength is Negatively Associated with Aortic Stiffness in Young Men

Abstract

Aortic arterial is a marker of morbidity, mortality and is associated with cardiovascular disease. While aerobic capacity and aerobic exercise are associated with lower arterial stiffness, recent evidence suggests resistance exercise may increase arterial stiffness. Interestingly, low, not high, muscle strength is associated with increased mortality suggesting the relationship between muscle strength and arterial stiffness need further investigation. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between muscular strength and central arterial stiffness in young men. METHODS: Arterial stiffness, muscular strength and aerobic capacity were measured in 55 young men (22.5 + 3 yrs). Height, weight, and brachial blood pressure were also recorded. Muscular strength was determined using a one repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press test which was then divided by bodyweight to determine relative strength (1-RMrel). Aerobic fitness (VO2 peak) was tested on a Lode cycle ergometer and reported in ml/kg/min. Central aortic stiffness was measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) using a single high-fidelity strain gauge transducer with ECG timing. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between aortic stiffness and strength (r=−0.390, p<0.05). The relationship remained significant (r=−0.341, p<0.05) when controlling for age, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and aerobic fitness. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that there is a significant negative association between muscular strength and aortic stiffness in young men. This finding contrasts previous data showing that resistance training is associated with increased arterial stiffness.