Aim
To compare the cardiovascular response and serum IL-6 level in concentric and eccentric exercise done at same absolute workload.
Materials and Methods
In this non-randomised crossover study 24, apparently healthy and young male adults performed an acute bout of concentric and eccentric exercise. Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Heart Rate (HR), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), Pulse Pressure (PP) and serum IL-6 were measured just before and immediately after exercise. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied to compare the data within-group and in-between group.
Results
SBP, HR, MAP, PP, DBP and IL-6 level increased significantly after both, concentric and eccentric exercise. The mean change in SBP, HR, MAP, PP, and IL-6 after concentric exercise (18.54±3.06, 57.21±10.73, 8.35±1.40, 15.25±5.29, 5.40±3.13 respectively) was significantly higher than after eccentric exercise (13.38±1.72, 43.25±8.34, 6.50±1.0, 10.21±3.16, 4.36±2.54 respectively). A non-significant rise in DBP was obtained after concentric exercise (3.25±2.79) as compared to eccentric exercise (3.08±1.89).
Conclusion
Eccentric exercise not only caused a lesser cardiovascular demand as compared to concentric exercise but also a significant increment in IL-6 level. Exercise-induced IL-6 may prevent the initiation and development of CVD. Hence, eccentric exercise training might be recommended for reducing morbidity and mortality in individuals with-or at a risk of developing CVD.