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High-intensity interval training for reducing blood pressure: a randomized trial vs. moderate-intensity continuous training in males with overweight or obesity

Hypertension Research volume 43, pages 396–403 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

The optimal exercise-training characteristics for reducing blood pressure (BP) are unclear. We investigated the effects of 6-weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on BP and aortic stiffness in males with overweight or obesity. Twenty-eight participants (18–45 years; BMI: 25–35 kg/m2) performed stationary cycling three times per week for 6 weeks. Participants were randomly allocated (unblinded) to work-matched HIIT (N = 16; 10 × 1-min intervals at 90–100% peak workload) or MICT (N = 12; 30 min at 65–75% peak heart rate). Central (aortic) and peripheral (brachial) BP and aortic stiffness was assessed before and after training. There were no significant group × time interactions for any BP measure (all p > 0.21). HIIT induced moderate reductions in central (systolic/diastolic ∆: −4.6/−3.5 mmHg, effect size d = −0.51/−0.40) and peripheral BP (−5.2/−4 mmHg, d = −0.45/−0.47). MICT induced moderate reductions in diastolic BP only (peripheral: −3.4 mmHg, d = −0.57; central: −3 mmHg, d = −0.50). The magnitude of improvement in BP was strongly negatively correlated with baseline BP (r = −0.66 to −0.78), with stronger correlations observed for HIIT (r = −0.73 to −0.88) compared with MICT (r = −0.43 to −0.61). HIIT was effective for reducing BP (~3–5 mmHg) in the overweight to obese cohort. Exercise training induced positive changes in central (aortic) BP. The BP-lowering effects of exercise training are more prominent in those with higher baseline BP, with stronger correlation in HIIT than MICT.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Tomasin Clark, Rob Morey

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tomasin Clark, Rob Morey, Matthew D. Jones, Lauren Marcos, Michael Ristov, Adrian Ram, Stefan Hakansson, Aysha Franklin, Chris McCarthy, Leal De Carli, Rachel Ward & Andrew Keech

  2. Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Matthew D. Jones

  3. Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Matthew D. Jones

  4. Department of Biomedicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Stefan Hakansson

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Contributions

TC, RM, SH, MR, LM, AR, AF, CM and LC recruited participants and collected study data. TC, RM, MJ and AK analysed and interpreted the study data. TC, RM and AK wrote the manuscript. AK and RW designed the study.

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Correspondence to Andrew Keech.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Clark, T., Morey, R., Jones, M.D. et al. High-intensity interval training for reducing blood pressure: a randomized trial vs. moderate-intensity continuous training in males with overweight or obesity. Hypertens Res 43, 396–403 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-019-0392-6

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