Justin Sprick, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation
University of North Texas
“Mechanisms Contributing to Exercise Intolerance and Exaggerated Blood
Pressure Reactivity during Exercise in Renal Disease.”
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects approximately 15% of the US population and
over 850 million people worldwide. Exercise intolerance is a hallmark feature of
patients with decreased kidney function that contributes to a sedentary lifestyle and
poor quality of life. When individuals with CKD do engage in exercise, they exhibit
abnormal neuro-circulatory responses that are characterized by augmented
sympathetic nervous system activation and blood pressure reactivity, both of which
contribute to a heightened cardiovascular risk profile. Multiple factors contribute to
exercise intolerance and exaggerated blood pressure reactivity during exercise in CKD
including autonomic, intramuscular, and vascular mechanisms that become
dysregulated with declining kidney function. I will highlight key mechanisms that
contribute to these undesirable responses and discuss how aerobic exercise training
may be applied to improve neuro-circulatory control in CKD.
Friday, March 10, 2023, 11:00AM-12:00PM, EAD-506
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, Texas