Influence of Habitual Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Healthy Young Adults

Abstract

Diminished cerebrovascular function is associated with reduced cognitive ability. Habitual exercise may maintain or improve cerebrovascular function; however, limited information exists regarding the optimal exercise prescription for cerebrovascular health. While aerobic exercise is associated with improved systemic vascular function, the influence of resistance exercise on vascular health is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of habitual exercise training on cerebrovascular function in healthy young adults. We evaluated 13 untrained (age = 27 ± 5 yr; 11 men, 2 women), 13 aerobic trained (age = 28 ± 5 yr; 10 men, 3 women), and 13 resistance trained (age = 24 ± 4 yr; 11 men, 2 women) adults. Middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) were continuously measured at rest, and in response to hypercapnia. At rest, there were no differences between groups for MCAv; however, resistance trained adults had greater cerebrovascular conductance compared with aerobic trained adults (0.79 ± 0.26 cm/s/mmHg vs. 0.56 ± 0.17 cm/s/mmHg; p < 0.05). In response to hypercapnia, cerebrovascular reactivity and MAP reactivity were not different between groups. There was no association between aerobic fitness or measures of exercise volume and any variable of cerebrovascular function in the combined or individual groups. Our results suggest that the mode of exercise training does not impact cerebrovascular reactivity in healthy young adults; however, it may influence resting cerebral hemodynamics. Future research could examine the influence of habitual exercise training on cerebrovascular function with aging.