8-week Aerobic Exercise and Vitamin D Supplementation: Impact on Hypertension With Vitamin D Deficiency

This research aims to investigate the performance of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise and vitamin D supplementation on nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin 1 (ET-1) indicators in patients with high blood pressure and vitamin D deficiency.

In this quasi-experimental research, 40 qualified men and women were randomly divided into four groups (supplement group, placebo + exercise group, supplement + exercise group, and control group). The training program of the experimental groups included 8 weeks of aerobic exercise running on a treadmill (3 sessions per week). Two groups (exercise + supplement and supplement group) received vitamin D supplement daily in the amount of 2000 international units in a double-blind manner, and the exercise + placebo group received a placebo capsule containing maltodextrin daily. Blood sampling was done to evaluate biochemical variables 48 hours before and after the intervention in a fasting state.

The research results show that after 8 weeks of aerobic training with vitamin D supplementation, there was no significant effect on body mass index, NO, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), vitamin D, and weight (P<0.05), but the effects were significant on ET-1 level and systolic blood pressure which changed in the supplement, supplement+exercise, and exercise+placebo groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Also, the vitamin D increase showed a significant change (P<0.05).

Based on the results of the present study, taking vitamin D supplements for 8 weeks along with aerobic activity reduces ET-1, increases NO, and improves blood pressure in hypertensive people with vitamin D deficiencies.