Table 4. Changes of heart rate and parameters of arterial stiffness during acute exercise below vs above intensities of 50% of VO2mean (valid trials pooled for indoor cycling, cross-country skiing and alpine skiing). Data are mean value (± standard deviation).
Exercise intensity <50% (n = 24) Exercise intensity ≥50% (n = 25) Repeated-measures ANOVA
Before After Change in % Before After Change
in %		 Exercise
intensity (p)		 Time
(p)		 Exercise intensity x time (p)
HR [bpm] 64
(11)		 83***
(15)		 +30.6
(14.0)		 63
(10)		 88***
(14)		 +41.4
(18.4)		 0.589 <0.001 <0.05
cSBP [mmHg] 113.0
(11.7)		 113.6 (10.8) +0.9
(8.0)		 113.9
(12.4)		 106.7***
(12.4)		 -6.3
(4.9)		 0.359 <0.01 <0.001
cPP [mmHg] 32.8
(6.2)		 32.4
(5.4)		 +0.8
(17.9)		 32.3
(5.8)		 29.6
(5.7)		 -6.6
(18.9)		 0.255 0.087 0.178
AIx [%] 13.3
(5.6)		 15.3
(7.7)		 +27.8
(74.3)		 17.5
(11.7)		 15.0
(5.2)		 +29.3 (109.5) 0.220 0.880 0.169
reflection coefficient [%] 64.1
(9.8)		 61.6
(7.8)		 -2.7
(13.3)		 63.8
(8.1)		 57.3***
(7.8)		 -9.4
(14.0)		 0.290 <0.001 0.089
Pf [mmHg] 21.0
(3.0)		 21.3
(3.3)		 +1.7
(13.1)		 20.9
(3.3)		 20.0
(3.4)		 -2.9
(18.0)		 0.359 0.488 0.245
Pb [mmHg] 13.6
(3.3)		 13.1
(2.6)		 -0.3
(21.2)		 13.3
(2.9)		 11.6**
(2.9)		 -11.2
(22.3)		 0.215 <0.05 0.129
PWV [m/s] 7.16
(1.44)		 7.24
(1.40)		 +1.3
(3.9)		 7.20
(1.45)		 7.03**
(1.49)		 -2.4
(3.9)		 0.836 0.242 <0.01
AIx: augmentation index, bpm: beats per minute, cPP: central pulse pressure, cSBP: central systolic blood pressure, HR: heart rate, Pb: amplitude of the backward pressure wave, Pf: amplitude of the forward pressure wave, PWV: pulse wave velocity; p-value: dependent t-test or Wilcoxon-signed rank test, respectively,
* p<0.05:
** p<0.01;
*** p<0.001: significance level before vs. after exercise.