Sex Effects on Blood Pressure Regulation to Acute Isometric Handgrip Exercise, Following 4 Weeks of Isometric Handgrip Training

Summary

The goal of this intervention is to compare the blood pressure response of young females and males to a single bout of static handgrip exercise before and after static handgrip training (4 weeks). The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Are the lowering blood pressure effects of static handgrip exercise training different between young females and males? * Which factors explain the lowering blood pressure effects of static handgrip training and possible differences between sexes? Is it an improved blood vessel dilation? Is it a reduced stiffening of blood vessels? Is it a reduced fight or flight response resulting in a lower heart rate and blood pumped by the heart into the vessels? All the above? * Which factors regulate blood pressure response during and immediately after a single bout of static handgrip exercise? All participants will be asked to: * Visit the laboratory to perform static handgrip exercise - first visit; * Participants will be randomized (like flipping a coin) to static handgrip exercise training or to a non-exercising phase, with each phase lasting four weeks. Participants will also complete the other condition (handgrip or no handgrip) after completing the first four-week condition * Return to the laboratory after the completion of both static handgrip training and no training to perform the static handgrip exercise of the first visit. The investigators will compare participants' blood pressure response to a single bout static of handgrip exercise after training to their own blood pressure response to the same bout of exercise after the non-training period.

Description