Influence of antibacterial mouthwash on post-exercise hypotension

Background: Acute exercise induces a blood pressure (BP) reduction that lasts minutes to hours, which is called post-exercise hypotension (PEH). Accumulating data suggest that oral bacteria play a role in BP regulation by contributing to nitric oxide production, implying that antibacterial mouthwash (AM) could affect PEH. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of an AM on post-exercise changes in BP and arterial stiffness index (ASI). Methods: Ten healthy young men completed two treadmill exercises at moderate intensity. After exercise, the subjects rinsed their mouth for 1 min with AM or nitrite-free water at 5, 35, 65, and 95 min during the recovery period. BP and ASI were assessed at 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min during the recovery period. Heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (BL) were also measured. Results: As expected, PEH occurred showing a decrease in the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures after exercise in the placebo group. The ASI also decreased after exercise in the placebo group. However, these BP-lowering effects of exercise were significantly diminished by AM, particularly at the later times of the recovery period. In addition, there was a difference between the treatments in ASI changes, but not in HR and BL changes. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that AM usage after exercise can attenuate the beneficial effects of exercise on BP and the vasculature.