Blood pressure responses to acute exercise in type A and B females and males.

Cardiovascular responses to moderate steady-state exercise were studied in Type A and Type B males and females. Eighteen men and 17 women, ages 20 to 40 years, were chosen for Type A (males = 10, females = 10) and Type B (males = 8, females = 7) groups by means of the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Subjects exercised on a electronic cycle ergometer at 60% O2peak for 20 min. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant Time (F(8,17) = 16.1, p < 0.001) and Group x Sex interaction (F(1,24) = 7.84, p < 0.01), with no differences evident between the male systolic blood pressures (SBPs), but an elevation in the SBP of the Type A female subject. SBP between all males and females were also significantly different (F(1,24) = 68.8, p < 0.0001). Males showed a greater SBP throughout the resting, exercise, and recovery time intervals when compared to females as a group, diastolic blood pressures (DBP) showed a significant Time effect (F(8,17) = 11.8, p < 0.0001) with a significant Time x Group x Sex interaction (F(8,17) = 3.1, p < 0.02). Significant Sex effects (F(1,24) = 12.4, p < 0.002) and a marginal Group x Sex interaction were also observed (F(1,24) = 3.67, p < 0.067), with Type B females having the greatest reduction in DBP at 15 min (59.0 +/- 5.6 vs. 71.7 +/- 3.2 mmHg) and 20 min (50.0 +/- 3.3 vs. 67.3 +/- 3.9 mmHg) or exercise when compared to Type As. There were significant DBP differences between males and females throughout rest, at 5 and 20 min of exercise, and in both recovery time periods. The data only reveal significant differences in DBP between Type A and B males at 20 min of exercise [64.2 +/- 3.3 (A) and 72.6 +/- 1.2 (B) mmHg]. No significant Group main effect was evident. These data suggest that hemodynamic and other physiological responses to exercise in females, particularly Type A, vary from males according to behavioral types associated with differing physiology.