Aerobic or resistance exercise performed the previous day does not attenuate postprandial hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in overweight/obese adults

Introduction Postprandial hyperglycemia (PPH) impairs vascular endothelial function (VEF). A single bout of aerobic exercise (AE) attenuates PPH-induced decreases in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a non-invasive measure of VEF, in healthy adults for up to 17 h post-exercise. Studies examining the effects of resistance exercise (RE) on postprandial FMD responses are lacking. Purpose We hypothesized that a single bout of exercise performed the prior evening would attenuate PPH-induced decreases in FMD, independent of exercise modality. Methods In a randomized, cross-over design, overweight/obese adults [ n = 11 (8 women); 22 ± 4 years; 32.3 ± 5.8 kg m −2 ] completed 3 separate trials: control (seated rest), AE (30 min at ~ 60% V O 2max ), or whole-body RE (30 min, 6 exercises, 3 × 10-repetition maximum). Each trial occurred 14–17 h prior to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Brachial artery FMD and plasma glucose and insulin were measured prior to and at 30-min intervals for 2 h following the OGTT. Repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to evaluate differences within and between trials. Results Trials occurred 15.3 ± 1.0 h prior to the OGTT. Relative to baseline, FMD transiently decreased ( P