Plasma renin activity, angiotensin II, and aldosterone during the hypnotic suggestion of running

The plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II and aldosterone concentrations, heart rate and blood pressure of four male athletes were measured before, during and after a hypnotically suggested run. While under hypnosis the test subjects were once again brought through a training exercise of 3 × 300 m sprints that they had run about one year earlier. This hypnotic ‘run’ caused changes in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (R-A-A) system of the athletes similar to but smaller than accused by the actual exercise. The maximal mean increase in PRA, found 30 min after the hypnotic ‘run’, was 26.7% (P<0.05) and that in plasma angiotensin II concentration 136% (P<0.05) when compared to the values before the ‘warming-up’ period. However, the hypnotic suggestions of running caused no significant increase in plasma aldosterone concentrations. ‘Running’ also caused a significant increase in the heart rate (37.9%; P<0.05) and systolic blood pressure (8.7%; P<002) and a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (12.1%; P<...