This study was designed to test the hypothesis that daily spontaneous running (DSR) attenuates the development of blood pressure-related cardiovascular disease risk factors (BP-related CVD risk factors) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). After 8 weeks of DSR or sedentary control, rats were chronically instrumented with arterial catheters. Daily exercise attenuated the development of all measures of BP-related CVD risk factors. Specifically DSR attenuated the increase in systolic blood pressure (Delta-22 mmHg), systolic blood pressure variability (Delta-2.5 mmHg), and systolic blood pressure load (Delta-27%). Similarly, DSR attenuated the increase in diastolic blood pressure (Delta-15 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure variability (Delta-1.19 mmHg), and diastolic blood pressure load (Delta-17%). Finally, DSR attenuated the development of tachycardia (Delta-63 bpm). These data demonstrate that daily exercise attenuates the development of hypertension and tachycardia in animals predisposed to hypertension.
