Abstract
Objective: This cross-sectional study examines the acute effects of different types of exercise on cardiovascular function in young adults. By analyzing heart rate, blood pressure, and vascular response before and after exercise, the study aims to explore how various forms of physical activity (aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises) influence cardiovascular health in the short term. The findings could contribute to optimizing exercise prescriptions for enhancing cardiovascular health.
Methods: The study was carried out at a tertiary care center in Sindh, Pakistan, involving healthy young adults aged 18–30 years. Participants were stratified into three groups based on exercise modality: aerobic exercise, resistance training, and flexibility-based exercise. Baseline cardiovascular parameters, including resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and vascular responsiveness, were measured prior to exercise. Post-exercise measurements were recorded immediately and after a standardized recovery period. Statistical analysis was performed to compare pre- and post-exercise cardiovascular responses across exercise types.
Results: Acute aerobic exercise produced a significant increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure immediately post-exercise, followed by a rapid recovery phase. Resistance exercise resulted in higher transient elevations in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to other modalities. Flexibility exercises demonstrated minimal cardiovascular stress, with modest improvements in vascular responsiveness. Statistically significant differences were observed among exercise modalities in terms of cardiovascular load and recovery dynamics (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that different forms of acute exercise elicited distinct cardiovascular responses in young adults. Aerobic exercise primarily enhanced heart rate dynamics and vascular function, resistance training induced greater blood pressure fluctuations, and flexibility exercise offered cardiovascular benefits with minimal hemodynamic strain. These results supported the importance of exercise-specific prescriptions for optimizing short-term cardiovascular health in young adults