Age-Related Cardiovascular Responses to Intermittent Back Muscle and Bicycle Ergometer Exercise in Healthy Adults

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Regular physical activity (PA) represents a key modifiable factor in CVD prevention. <i>Methods:</i> Fifty-two healthy adult males participated in this study, div...

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Main Authors: Ruta Brazdzionyte, Kristina Motiejunaite, Kristina Poderiene, Eugenijus Trinkunas, Zivile Kairiukstiene
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/6985
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Summary:<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Regular physical activity (PA) represents a key modifiable factor in CVD prevention. <i>Methods:</i> Fifty-two healthy adult males participated in this study, divided into two groups: aged up to 45 years and over 45 years. The subjects performed a bicycle ergometer exercise and a standardised back muscle workload protocol. ECG, arterial blood pressure (ABP), and muscle oxygen saturation (StO<sub>2</sub>) measurements were obtained during workload and recovery. <i>Results:</i> During bicycle ergometer workload, heart rate (HR) at minute 2 was significantly lower in participants over 45 years of age compared to the younger group (126.8–109.8 bpm), while diastolic blood pressure (dBP) was significantly lower in the under-45 group during maximal workload (65.4–71.9 mmHg) and the first minute of recovery (54.6–69.3 mmHg). During workload for back muscles, the over-45 group showed significantly lower dBP at the third rest period (87–74.7 mmHg), while StO<sub>2</sub> was significantly lower in the over-45 group compared to the under-45 group (54.4–77.8%). <i>Conclusions:</i> The findings of this study demonstrate that both bicycle ergometer exercise and standardised back muscle workload had a significant influence on cardiovascular system (CVS) responses, particularly when stratified by age. Participants over the age of 45 exhibited a higher incidence of functional myocardial ischaemia, reduced StO<sub>2</sub> and more pronounced increases in HR during and following exertion.
ISSN:2076-3417