Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping in Prehypertensive Individuals

Fifteen prehypertensive individuals completed a 30 minute timed bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise at 7 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM. Following each exercise bout, the subject’s were outfitted with an ambulatory blood pressure cuff and their blood pressure was monitored for the following 24 hour time period. Measurements were recorded for systolic and diastolic blood pressures as well as blood pressure dipping percentage at night during sleep. The results showed a bout of aerobic exercise completed at 7 AM was the most beneficial epoch of time to conduct aerobic exercise with regard to the circadian blood pressure rhythm.