Currently, African-Americans have higher rates of essential hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular disease than Caucasians. Unfortunately, this subgroup of the American population is proportionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. Racial differences in hypertension may be related to the finding that African-Americans have an exaggerated blood pressure response to stress. Recent studies have implicated an elevated systemic vascular resistance as the cause which may support the hypothesis of a racial difference in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. Over 100 longitudinal studies have investigated the effects of exercise training on resting blood pressure in Caucasians; however, there is a paucity of data concerning the effects of exercise training in an African-American population. The first phase of the study will examine the effects of isometric exercise training on resting blood pressure. The second and third phase will examine the effects of endurance and resistance training, respectively. Hemodynamic indices will be evaluated pre-and-post training. Additionally, this study will determine if acute blood pressure responses to other stressors are diminished following each mode of exercise training. By examining the hemodynamic effects of exercise training, we expect to elucidate potential mechanisms relative to the greater prevalence of hypertension in African-Americans and scientifically assess the effectiveness of exercise as a potential non-pharmacological treatment for hypertension. Additionally, the experimental studies outlined in this proposal will increase the students' awareness and participation in biomedical research.
