Acute effects of supramaximal exercise on carotid artery compliance and pulse pressure in young men and women

The purpose of this study was to determine the cumulative effects of repeated cycling sprints (Wingate tests) on carotid compliance and blood pressure (BP). Fourteen young, healthy men and women completed this study. Vascular and hemodynamic measurements were taken at rest, 5 min following a first Wingate test, 25 min following the first Wingate test, 5 min following a second Wingate test, and 25 min following the second Wingate test. At each time point, the measurements taken included brachial and carotid pulse pressure (PP), heart rate, carotid artery maximum and minimum diameters, and carotid compliance. Carotid BP was obtained with applanation tonometry. Carotid diameters were obtained using ultrasonography and compliance was calculated from carotid diameters and BP. Carotid and brachial PP increased significantly (P < 0.05) 5 min after each Wingate test and returned to near baseline 25 min after each Wingate test. No cumulative PP effects were seen. A cumulative effect was seen for carotid compliance: 5 min following the second sprint, carotid arterial compliance decreased significantly more than 5 min following the first sprint (P < 0.05). A single cycling sprint reduces carotid artery compliance immediately after exercise. Performance of a second identical cycling sprint further compounds this vascular change, reducing carotid artery compliance beyond levels seen following a single cycling sprint.