[Physical training and blood pressure]

Abstract

The effects of exercise training on blood pressure (BP) are reviewed. BP rises during exercise and lowers in the post-exercise period. Regular physical training result in a significant lowering of BP at rest as long as the training is continued. Moreover exercise training result in a BP lowering during exercise which is greater in hypertensive patients than in normotensive subjects. A favourable effect is observed also on ambulatory blood pressure, but the night-time blood pressure is not lowered. The mechanisms of training-induced changes of BP are not sufficiently known. The exercise training seems act on systemic vascular resistance, plasma catecholamine, PGE2 and taurine levels, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. As adequate physical training can reduce BP, we can consider it is a non pharmacological treatment of hypertension: mainly for border lines, labile and mild hypertensives patients. For certain hypertensive patients, some sports can be permitted when no target organ is involved.