Abstract
We investigated the associations between steroid hormones and resting and exercise
blood pressure in the sedentary state and in response to an exercise program controlling
for sex, body mass, ethnicity, age, oral contraceptives, hormone therapy, smoking
and alcohol intake in subjects from the HERITAGE Family Study. In the sedentary state, 267 men (28% Blacks) and 301 women (37% Blacks) were available,
and 241 men and 254 women completed the exercise program. Fourteen steroid hormones
and sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations were assayed in a fasted state. Statistical
significance was set at a Bonferroni adjusted p<0.0001. After controlling for the
various covariates, only testosterone came close to a significant correlation with
exercise systolic blood pressure at 50 W (r=−0.21, P=0.0006) in men. No other correlations
with resting and exercise blood pressure traits were found at baseline. There were
significant changes in blood pressure in response to the exercise program, but none
of the correlations with baseline plasma steroids reached statistical significance.
Plasma steroids do not correlate with resting and exercise blood pressure in sedentary
adults and do not associate with blood pressure changes in response to a 20-week endurance
exercise program.
Key words
hypertension - sedentary - endurance exercise - submaximal intensity
