Enhanced cardiovascular hemodynamics in endurance-trained postmenopausal women athletes

We sought to determine whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism is associated with submaximal exercise cardiovascular hemodynamics. Postmenopausal healthy women (20 sedentary, 20 physically active, 22 endurance athletes) had cardiac output (acetylene rebreathing) measured during 40, 60, and 80%V˙o 2 max exercise. The interaction of ACE genotype and habitual physical activity (PA) level was significantly associated with submaximal exercise systolic blood pressure, with only sedentary women exhibiting differences among genotypes. No significant effects of ACE genotype or its interaction with PA levels was observed for submaximal exercise diastolic blood pressure. ACE genotype was significantly associated with submaximal exercise heart rate (HR) with ACE II having ∼10 beats/min higher HR than ACE ID/DD genotype women. ACE genotype did not interact significantly with habitual PA level to associate with submaximal exercise HR. ACE genotype was not independently, but was interactively with habitual PA levels, associated with differences in submaximal exercise cardiac output and stroke volume. For cardiac output, ACE II genotype women athletes had ∼25% greater cardiac output than ACE DD genotype women athletes, whereas for stroke volume genotype-dependent differences were observed in both the physically active and athletic women. ACE genotype was not significantly associated, either independently or interactively with habitual PA levels, with submaximal exercise total peripheral resistance or arteriovenous O2 difference. Thus the common ACE locus polymorphic variation is associated with many submaximal exercise cardiovascular hemodynamic responses.

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Cardiovascular hemodynamics with increasing exercise intensities in postmenopausal women

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1999.87.6.2334 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 87 (6) ◽

pp. 2334-2340 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Steve D. McCole ◽

Michael D. Brown ◽

Geoffrey E. Moore ◽

Joseph M. Zmuda ◽

Jeffrey D. Cwynar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cardiac Output ◽

Oxygen Consumption ◽

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Exercise Intensity ◽

Maximal Oxygen Consumption ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physically Active ◽

Cardiovascular Hemodynamics ◽

Physical Activity Levels

We sought to determine the cardiovascular responses to increasing exercise intensities in postmenopausal women with different physical activity levels and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) status. Forty-four women (11 sedentary, 19 physically active, 14 master athletes; 24 not on HRT, 20 on HRT) completed treadmill exercise at 40, 60, 80, and 100% of maximal oxygen consumption. Oxygen consumption, heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output, determined via acetylene rebreathing, were measured at each exercise intensity. HRT did not affect cardiovascular hemodynamics. Stroke volume (SV) decreased significantly between 40 and 100% of maximal oxygen consumption in all groups, and the decrease did not differ among groups. The greater oxygen consumption of the athletes at each intensity was due to their significantly greater cardiac output, which was the result of a significantly greater SV, compared with both of the less active groups. The athletes had significantly lower total peripheral resistance at each exercise intensity than did the two less active groups. There were no consistent significant hemodynamic differences between the physically active and sedentary women. These results indicate that SV decreases in postmenopausal women as exercise intensity increases to maximum, regardless of their habitual physical activity levels or HRT status.

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