The effects of physical training on blood pressure and subcutaneous adipose tissue in healthy pre-pubertal, pubertal and adolescent boys

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as the effects of exercise on adiposity. The sample consisted of 110 Northern Greek school boys who formed 3 groups according to their age (10, 13 and 16 year olds) and who participated in the study either as controls or as subjects in the training group. The controls abstained from sports and exercised only in the school physical education courses, whereas the subjects also participated in an interval exercise program (12 weeks, 50min/day, 3days/week) of high intensity workload (heart rate of 170-180bpm) on a cycle ergometer, alternating every 4min by 10min of a light intensity workload (heart rate of 120-130bpm) of floor training. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as triceps, subscapular and abdominal skinfold measurements were taken at the beginning and at the end of the training period. At the beginning of the training period no significant differences were found for the skinfold thickness between the three different age groups, however, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher (p<0.001) in 16 year olds and significantly lower in 10 year olds. At the end of the training period, systolic, diastolic blood pressure and skinfold measurements significantly decreased in the training group. On the contrary, no significant differences were observed at the end of the 12-week training period for the control group concerning blood pressure. The findings suggest that the type of exercise used by the training group appears to be a stimulus for decreasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure and an important factor in regulating body weight and subcutaneous fat during pre-pubescence, pubescence and adulthood.