Acute Citrulline Blunts Aortic Systolic Pressure during Exercise and Sympathoactivation in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women

• Published in: Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2022-05, Vol.54 (5), p.761-768
• Main Authors: MAHARAJ, ARUN, FISCHER, STEPHEN M., DILLON, KATHERINE N., KANG, YEJIN, MARTINEZ, MAURICIO A., FIGUEROA, ARTURO
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0195-9131; 1530-0315
• DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002848

Hypertensive postmenopausal women (PMW) have exaggerated exercise systolic blood pressure (SBP) due to impaired functional sympatholysis. l-Citrulline (CIT) supplementation attenuates aortic SBP responses to cold pressor test (CPT)-induced vasoconstriction in young men. We hypothesized that acute CIT ingestion would attenuate aortic SBP and leg hemodynamic responses during exercise and CPT (EX + CPT). Fifteen hypertensive PMW (61 ± 7 yr) were randomly assigned to consume either 6 g of CIT or placebo (PL) separated by a minimum 3-d washout phase. Brachial and aortic blood pressure, femoral artery blood flow (FBF), and vascular conductance (FVC) were measured at rest and during 5 min of unilateral plantarflexion exercise with a CPT applied during minutes 4 and 5. No differences between conditions were found in FBF, FVC, and brachial and aortic blood pressure at rest and during exercise alone. Changes in brachial SBP (CIT vs PL, 29 ± 12 vs 40 ± 10 mm Hg) and mean arterial pressure (CIT vs PL, 21 ± 10 vs 33 ± 11 mm Hg), and aortic SBP (CIT vs PL, 27 ± 11 vs 38 ± 9 mm Hg) and mean arterial pressure (CIT vs PL, 23 ± 9 vs 33 ± 11 mm Hg) to EX + CPT were lower in the CIT versus PL condition (P < 0.05). FBF, FVC, and functional sympatholysis (%ΔFVC) were not significantly different between conditions. Acute CIT ingestion attenuated aortic SBP response to exercise and cold-induced sympathetic activation that may prevent left ventricle overload in hypertensive PMW.