Cardiovascular And Autonomic Responses To Resistance Training In Individuals With Down Syndrome

Down syndrome (DS), also referred to as Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by a partial or full extra copy of the chromosome 21. Studies show that physical activity levels in individuals with DS are much lower than individuals without DS. Individuals with DS have different responses to maximal and submaximal dynamic exercise, as well as other autonomic stimuli. The purpose of this research project was to investigate the cardio-autonomic responses in individuals with DS following resistance training and compare these responses to controls of similar age with no disabilities. Six healthy subjects (3 with DS, 3 controls without disabilities) aged 18 to 40 years participated in the study. There were two women and 1 male in both the experimental and control groups. The subjects underwent a 4 week resistance training protocol utilizing 8 different resistance machines (3 days per week). Body composition, BP, central arterial stiffness, HRV measurements were all taken prior to the intervention and following the 4 week training. Our data showed that individuals with DS exhibit divergent responses to resistance training compared to individuals without DS. These findings indicate further research investigating the cardio-autonomic responses to resistance training in individuals with DS is necessary.