Arterial Stiffness Is Reduced Regardless of Resistance Training Load in Young Men.

Purpose: Discrepancies regarding the impact of resistance exercise training (RET) on arterial stiffness have led to uncertainty regarding the impact of RET on cardiovascular health. Confounding our understanding in this area are the roles of: load (heavier vs lighter), participant cardiovascular health, and the method of arterial stiffness assessment. We aimed to investigate the effects of a heavier versus a lighter load resistance training protocol on both central and local arterial stiffness in previously-trained young men. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to a 12-week supervised whole-body RET program consisting of 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions (heavier-load, lower-repetition [LR]; n=16) or 3 sets of 20-25 repetitions (lighter-load, higher-repetition [HR]; n=16) to volitional failure, or a control group who maintained their regular activity habits (CON; n=14). Central arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cfPWV]), local arterial stiffness (common carotid arterial distensibility), and left ventricular mass were measured prior to and after 12 weeks of RET. Results: There was a reduction in cfPWV in both LR (6.24+/-0.56 vs 5.77+/-0.76 m[middle dot]s-1; p

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