Maintenance of exercise training benefits is associated with adequate milk and dairy products intake in elderly hypertensive subjects following detraining.

Objective: To investigate whether maintenance of exercise training benefits is associated with adequate milk and dairy products intake in hypertensive elderly subjects after detraining.

Methods: Twenty-eight elderly hypertensive patients with optimal clinical treatment underwent 16 weeks of multicomponent exercise training program followed by 6 weeks of detraining, and were classified according to milk and dairy products intake as low milk (<3 servings) and high milk (≥3 servings) groups.

Results: After exercise training, there was a significant reduction (p<0.001) in body weight, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure, an increase in lower and upper limb strength (chair-stand test and elbow flexor test) as well as in aerobic capacity (stationary gait test) and functional capacity (sit down, stand up, and move around the house) in both groups. However, in the Low Milk Intake Group significant changes were observed: body weight (+0.5%), systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure (+0.9%,+1.4% and +1.1%, respectively), lower extremity strength (-7.0%), aerobic capacity (-3.9%) and functional capacity (+5.4) after detraining. These parameters showed no significant differences between post-detraining and post-training period in High Milk Intake Group.

Conclusion: Maintenance of exercise training benefits related to pressure levels, lower extremity strength and aerobic capacity, is associated with adequate milk and dairy products intake in hypertensive elderly subjects following 6 weeks of detraining.