Sex differences in dynamic cerebral autoregulation responses to resistance and endurance training in humans.
Hannah J Thomas, Channa E Marsh, Leanne Lester et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized cross-over study examined whether dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) responses to resistance (RES) and endurance (END) training differed by sex in 49 healthy adults. Participants completed 3 months of each training modality, separated by a 3-month washout. Cerebral blood velocity was measured with transcranial Doppler, and dCA was assessed at rest and during squat-stands. Across the group, gain decreased after RES training, but not END training, during both spontaneous and forced blood-pressure oscillations (all P < 0.05). The reduction was evident in females but not males, suggesting a more apparent RES-associated response in females.
Key findings
- Across participants, dCA gain decreased after RES training during spontaneous and forced oscillations (all P < 0.05), but not after END training.
- When analysed separately by sex, the gain reduction after RES training was apparent in females, but not males.
- Females had lower end-tidal CO₂, higher middle cerebral artery blood velocity, and higher baseline gain than males (all P < 0.01).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that exercise modality and sex may be relevant when studying cerebrovascular adaptation to training. Resistance training was associated with improved dCA measures across more than one assessment method, with the response more apparent in females. These physiological results add evidence about potential differences in exercise-related cerebrovascular responses, but do not establish effects on clinical outcomes such as stroke or dementia.
What to keep in mind
The study involved healthy adults, so the findings may not generalize to people with cerebrovascular disease or other populations. The abstract reports physiological measures rather than clinical outcomes.