Boost Your Heart Health: Combined Exercise Outperforms Aerobic or Resistance Alone

This study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, investigated the impact of different exercise types on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in individuals with elevated risk. The authors compared the effects of aerobic, resistance, and combined aerobic and resistance training to a non-exercise control group. They found that while all groups improved in some aspects of health, only the combined aerobic and resistance training group saw significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure and improvements in a composite CVD risk score. This suggests that combining both types of exercise may be more effective than just one for improving overall CVD risk factors in middle-aged adults with elevated risk.

Key findings:

• All participants engaged in 3 days/week of exercise for 8 weeks.

• Combined training showed the most comprehensive benefits:

  • Significant reductions in peripheral and central blood pressure (diastolic) by 4 mmHg each.

  • Increase in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) by 4.9 ml/kg/min.

  • Increased upper and lower body strength.

  • Increase in lean body mass.

• Aerobic training:

  • Increased CRF more significantly than combined training (7.7 ml/kg/min).

  • Reduced body weight and fat mass.

• Resistance training:

  • Increased lower body strength the most.

  • It reduced the waist circumference.

• Neither aerobics nor resistance alone significantly reduced blood pressure.

• Combined training led to a greater reduction in the composite score of CVD risk factors compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• For individuals at increased risk of CVD, 8 weeks of combined training may be more effective than solely aerobic or resistance training in improving various CVD risk factors.

• Combining both types of exercise provides more comprehensive benefits, including improvements in blood pressure, fitness, strength, and body composition.

Further research:

• Investigate the long-term effects of combined training on CVD risk reduction.

• Explore the optimal exercise intensity, duration, and frequency for combined training in this population.

• Evaluate the feasibility and adherence to combined training in real-world settings.

In the pursuit of better cardiovascular health, exercise emerges as a pivotal tool. Recent research delves into the efficacy of different exercise modalities, particularly focusing on combined training encompassing both aerobic and resistance exercises. This article explores the findings of a study aimed at elucidating the effects of such combined training on cardiovascular outcomes, shedding light on its significance for individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

Inclusion criteria:

• Adults aged 45–74 years old

• Elevated blood pressure or hypertension (defined criteria)

• Overweight or obese (defined criteria)

• Sedentary lifestyle (not meeting exercise guidelines for the past 3 months)

• There are no major medical conditions or risk factors

• Non-smokers

• Not pregnant or planning pregnancy

• Available for the entire study duration

Exclusion criteria:

• Smoking

• Pregnancy or planning pregnancy

• Planned absence exceeding 2 weeks during the study

Study design:

• Parallel-group, randomized controlled trial

• Four groups:

  • Control (no training)

  • Aerobic training only

  • Resistance training only

  • Combined aerobic and resistance training

The Essence of Combined Training

The study prioritized uniform exercise durations across groups, enhancing the relevance of its outcomes to the wider populace. Notably, while all exercise regimens yielded benefits, combined training stood out for its pronounced impact on blood pressure, particularly diastolic pressure. This underscores the importance of integrating diverse exercise modalities for comprehensive cardiovascular benefits.

Unveiling Training-induced Adaptations

Observations post-training revealed anticipated adaptations: aerobic training correlated with heightened cardiorespiratory fitness, while resistance training bolstered muscular strength. Despite notable gains in various parameters across different training forms, the combined group exhibited superior improvements in both cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength. Such findings underscore the holistic advantages of integrating aerobic and resistance exercises.

Navigating Blood Pressure Dynamics

While systolic blood pressure remained largely unaffected post-intervention, significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure were evident in the combined training cohort. This nuanced response hints at the intricate interplay between exercise modalities and blood pressure regulation, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of cardiovascular interventions.

Embracing Comprehensive Assessments

Beyond singular risk factors, the study advocates for comprehensive assessments encompassing diverse facets of cardiovascular health. By amalgamating standardized scores into a composite, a more holistic evaluation of cardiovascular risk emerges, reinforcing the efficacy of combined training in mitigating multifaceted risk factors.

To Summarize

• Combined training significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure.

• Aerobic training led to the greatest improvements in body composition (reduced BMI, weight, fat mass, and body fat percentage).

• Combination training increases lean body mass and strength.

• There were no significant changes in fasting blood lipids or glucose.

• Combined training showed greater overall improvements in a composite CVD risk score compared to the control group.

In conclusion, the study underscores the pivotal role of combined aerobic and resistance training in enhancing cardiovascular health among at-risk individuals. With notable improvements in blood pressure, body composition, and fitness parameters, combined training emerges as a potent strategy for mitigating cardiovascular risk. However, further research elucidating long-term outcomes and broader sample cohorts remains imperative to validate these findings conclusively.

Journal Reference

Schroeder, E., Franke, W. D., Sharp, R. L., & Lee, D. C. (2019, January 7). Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210292

Related

https://healthnewstrend.com/muscle-and-fitness-gains-in-8-weeks-effectiveness-of-home-based-hiit-training

https://healthnewstrend.com/short-on-time-big-on-results-unleash-the-power-of-hiit-for-health-and-fitness

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