Background An exaggerated exercise blood pressure (BP) is associated with a reduced exercise capacity. However, its connection to physical performance during competition is unknown.
Aim To examine BP responses to ischaemic handgrip exercise in Master athletes (MA) with and without underlying morbidities and to assess their association with athletic performance during the World Master Track Cycling Championships 2019.
Methods Forty-eight Master cyclists [age 59±13yrs; weekly training volume 10.4±4.1 h/week; handgrip maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) 46.3±11.5 kg] divided into 2 matched groups (24 healthy MA and 24 MA with morbidity) and
10 healthy middle-aged non-athlete controls (age 48.3±8.3 years; MVC 40.4±14.8 kg) performed 5 min of forearm occlusion including 1 min handgrip isometric contraction (40%MVC) followed by 5 min recovery. Continuous beat-by-beat BP
was recorded using fnger plethysmography. Age-graded performance (AGP) was calculated to compare race performances
among MA. Healthy Master cyclists were further grouped into middle-age (age 46.2±6.4 years; N:12) and old-age (age
65.0±7.7 years; N:12) for comparison with middle-aged non-athlete controls.
Results Healthy and morbidity MA groups showed similar BP responses during forearm occlusion and AGP (90.1±4.3% and
91.0±5.3%, p>0.05, respectively). Healthy and morbidity MA showed modest correlation between the BP rising slope for
40%MVC ischaemic exercise and AGP (r=0.5, p<0.05). MA showed accelerated SBP recovery after cessation of ischaemic
handgrip exercise compared to healthy non-athlete controls.
Conclusion Our fndings associate long-term athletic training with improved BP recovery following ischaemic exercise
regardless of age or reported morbidity. Exaggerated BP in Master cyclists during ischaemic exercise was associated with
lower AGP during the World Master Cycling Championships
