Reduced Exercise Cerebral Blood Flow in Normotensive Young Adult Blacks with Exaggerated Exercise Pressor Response

The purpose of this study was to monitor unilateral cerebral blood flow during exercise on an ergometer cycle in young normotensive AAs with and without an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise (EEBPR). Five normotensive AA s (3 female, 2 male/18-28 yrs.) with an EEBPR, and five AA s (3 female, 2 male/18-28 yrs.) without an EEBPR were studied before and during exercise while monitoring unilateral cerebral blood flow. The EEBPR was defined in the study as an increase in systolic blood pressure > or = 50 mm Hg above resting systolic blood pressure at a work intensity of 50% peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). VO2peak and body composition did not differ significantly between groups. However, during submaximal exercise at 30% and 50% VO2peak, MCAv was lower by 40% and 37% respectively, in the EEBPR group compared to the group without an EEBPR (p value