The moderating effect of physical activity on cardiovascular reactivity following single fat feedings

This experiment examined the effects of consuming a high-fat meal on cardiovascular reactivity and the ability of exercise to act as a moderator between dietary fat consumption and cardiovascular reactivity. Forty healthy, college-age students were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: (1) low-fat meal, no exercise; (2) low-fat meal, postprandial exercise; (3) high-fat meal, no exercise; and (4) high-fat meal, postprandial exercise. To induce stress, all participants performed a public speaking task, while heart rate and blood pressure reactivity were measured. Multilevel analyses revealed that consuming a high-fat meal led to heightened mean arterial pressure reactivity. Acute high-intensity exercise resulted in attenuated heart rate and mean arterial pressure reactivity. The results of this study offer insight into how diet and exercise may influence cardiovascular reactivity, which is a key determinant of cardiovascular disease.