ECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH02
INTRODUCTION: Acute resistance training (RT) may transiently impair cardiovascular function. Static stretching (SS) shows positive acute cardiovascular effects, but its role in modulating post-RT recovery remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the addition of SS to RT modulates acute endothelial, autonomic, and hemodynamic responses during post-exercise recovery. METHODS: Fifteen healthy participants completed a randomized crossover study including RT, RT followed by SS (RT+SS), and a control condition (CC). RT consisted of four sets at 80% one-repetition maximum of bench press and seated biceps curls. In RT+SS, RT was followed by four sets of 30s SS with 30s rest targeting the exercised muscles (pectoral and brachial biceps muscles). Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD%) and arterial diameter. Autonomic modulation was evaluated using heart rate variability (SDNN, RMSSD, LF and HF). Hemodynamic responses were assessed using mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Data were collected at baseline (BL), post-exercise (POST), and 30 min post-exercise (POST30). Timing of data collection was matched across condition. Time˟condition interaction was analyzed using a 3˟3 repeated-measures analyses of variance. RESULTS: For RT, FMD% decreased POST (d=1.84) and returned to BL at POST30 (d=1.11). No reduction in FMD% was observed for RT+SS at any time point. Arterial diameter increased POST RT (d =1.80) and RT+SS (d=1.53) to the same extent. At POST30, diameter returned to BL only after RT+SS (d=1.49), remaining elevated in RT (d=0.64). POST RT and RT+ST a similar reduction in time-domain outcomes was observed in RMSSD (d=1.41 and d=1.60) and SDNN (d=1.54 and d=1.57). However, HF decreased POST RT (d=1.14), and the reduction persisted at POST 30 (d= 0.77), while for RT+ST a decrease in HF was observed only at POST (d=1.03). No time˟condition differences were observed for LF. MAP decreased POST RT (d=0.91) and RT+SS (d=1.37) and returned to BL at POST30, with no differences between conditions. HR increased POST RT (d =2.24) and RT+SS (d =1.73) and persisted at POST30 only after RT (d =0.71). No significant changes were observed in CC at any time point. CONCLUSION: RT and RT+ST induced similar post-exercise effects, but distinct patterns emerge during recovery. The addition of SS prevented acute vascular impairment and was associated with improved hemodynamic and autonomic recovery. These findings provide novel insight on the acute physiological effects of combining RT and SS. 1. de Oliveira GV, Mendes Cordeiro E, Volino-Souza M, Rezende C, Conte-Junior CA, Silveira Alvares T. Flow-Mediated Dilation in Healthy Young Individuals Is Impaired after a Single Resistance Exercise Session. Int J Environ Res Public Health., 2020 2. Thomas E, Bellafiore M, Gentile A, Paoli A, Palma A, Bianco A. Cardiovascular Responses to Muscle Stretching: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J Sports Med, 2021
Read CV Salvatore FrendaECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH02
INTRODUCTION: Foam rolling (FR) is widely used to enhance joint range of motion (ROM) and relieve pain and stiffness; however, preliminary evidence suggests it may also elicit haemodynamic responses. Considering the important vascular and neural structures characterizing the cervical region, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of cervical FR performed with a massage roller on blood pressure (BP), tissue hardness (TH), pain pressure threshold (PPT), heart rate variability (HRV), and ROM. METHODS: Fifteen healthy males (mean age: 24.4±3.01 years) completed, in a randomized crossover design, two experimental conditions separated by a minimum 48-hour washout period: FR and control condition (CC). The FR intervention was self-administered using a massage roller and consisted of four sets of 45 rolls performed at a standardized cadence of one roll per second, specifically targeting the right posterolateral cervical region. BP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), bilateral cervical TH and PPT (at C7), HRV, cervical flexion and extension ROM were assessed at baseline (T0) and immediately following both conditions (T1). Time-×-condition interactions were analyzed using a 2×2 repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Scheffé post-hoc tests. Effect sizes were expressed as Cohen’s d for pairwise comparisons. RESULTS: For the FR condition, diastolic BP (p<.001; d=-1.23) and MAP (p<.001; d=-1.11), but not systolic BP, demonstrated large magnitude significant decreases. Significant moderate magnitude reduction in right cervical TH was also observed (p<.001; d=-0.68), alongside increases in PPT on both the right (p<.001; d=0.52) and left (p<.001; d=0.52) sides of C7. Additionally, cervical flexion (p=.008; d=0.47) and extension (p<.001; d=0.48) ROM significantly increased (small magnitude) exclusively for the FR condition. No significant time x condition interactions were detected in any HRV parameter. No difference in any outcome was observed for the CC. CONCLUSION: Cervical FR induced acute reductions in diastolic BP and MAP, concomitant with a localized decrease in TH and in the absence of detectable changes in HRV. This pattern indicates that the observed hypotensive responses were more plausibly related to a transient reduction in peripheral tissue resistance, as indirectly indicated by the decrease in TH, rather than to alterations in cardiac autonomic regulation. Concurrently, cervical FR acutely improved local ROM, likely mediated by reduced soft-tissue stiffness and enhanced pain tolerance. These findings suggest that cervical FR may represent a feasible and effective adjunct approach to acutely support cardiovascular health while enhancing cervical mobility.
Read CV Gianmarco PintoECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH02
INTRODUCTION: Individuals with a cervical or upper-thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI ≥T6) typically exhibit impaired exercise responses due to disrupted supraspinal sympathetic control of the cardiovascular (CV) system. This results in low blood pressure (BP), and reduced peak heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV) during exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) on arm-crank time to exhaustion (TTE) in individuals with SCI. METHODS: Ten individuals (9 male, 1 female) with a chronic, motor-complete SCI between the C4-T6 spinal segments underwent an individualised TSCS mapping session. A neuromodulation device (SCONE, SpineX Inc., USA) delivered specific stimulation parameters to optimise cardiovascular responses (CV-TSCS) without exceeding the 150 mmHg systolic BP (SBP) cut-off for pharmacologically-mediated autonomic dysreflexia intervention. Stimulation parameters included waveform (biphasic or monophasic), intensity (40-200mA) and cathode electrode locations (T10-L2 spinal segments). Fixed parameters included a 10kHz carrier frequency with low-frequency bursts (30Hz), each with a 1ms pulse width. Left-ventricular cardiac contractility (dP/dtmax) was predicted via the Modelflow algorithm. A sham condition (SHAM-TSCS) served as a comparison. A graded arm-crank exercise test identified peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak). Following a familiarisation trial, participants exercised to exhaustion in a randomised order with CV-TSCS and SHAM-TSCS, consisting of light (7 min), moderate (7 min) then vigorous (>7 min) intensity bouts prescribed as %V̇O2peak. TTE was defined as the duration performed at or above vigorous-intensity. Paired t-tests were conducted with Cohen’s d effect sizes (small >0.2; medium >0.5; large >0.8). RESULTS: At rest during the mapping session, CV-TSCS increased SBP (97 ± 12 vs 122 ± 12 mmHg; p<0.01, d=2.61) and peak dP/dtmax (551 ± 134 vs 729 ± 249 mmHg/s; p<0.01, d=1.28), relative to baseline. Prior to exercise, the change in SBP was greater with CV-TSCS versus SHAM-TSCS (Δ-1 ± 8 vs 22 ± 9 mmHg; p<0.01, d=1.86). TTE improved by 35 ± 9% (788 ± 322 vs 1037 ± 371 secs; p<0.01, d=1.91), with large effects on peak oxygen pulse (8.5 ± 2.3 vs 9.1 ± 2.2 mL/beat; p=0.02, d=0.85), a surrogate for SV, and peak HR (117 ± 24 vs 124 ± 23 bpm; p=0.02, d=0.90) with CV-TSCS relative to SHAM-TSCS. Subjective ratings of perceived exertion tended to be lower, whilst exercise enjoyment was significantly greater, with CV-TSCS. CONCLUSION: These findings have important ramifications for supporting elite athletes (e.g., Paralympians), trained or sedentary individuals with SCI. This evidence will be strengthened with recruitment of an adequately powered cohort as part of an ongoing clinical trial (ISRCTN17856698) that is also exploring the wider effects of CV-TSCS on short- and long-term autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction in individuals with SCI.
Read CV Dan HodgkissECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH02