Acute blood pressure changes are related to chronic effects of resistance exercise in medicated hypertensives elderly women

BACKGROUND: A previous study observed that the chronic effects of aerobic training on blood pressure (BP) are related to acute BP responses after a single bout of aerobic exercise. However, whether similar responses are observed with resistance exercise (RE) remains obscure. Thus, this study analysed the relationship between the acute BP responses to a single bout of RE and chronic changes in resting BP after a RE training in medicated hypertensive elderly women.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty medicated hypertensive women participated in the study. They underwent an acute RE bout where BP and heart rate (HR) were obtained at rest and for 60 min after the RE. Subsequently, the participants underwent a progressive RE training for 12 weeks at 60-80% of maximal strength test. Resting BP and HR were also obtained after the RE training. The chronic decreases in systolic and diastolic BP were significantly greater in the participants who experienced acutely decreased systolic and diastolic BP, respectively (P<0·05). The changes in systolic BP after acute RE were correlated with the chronic changes in resting systolic BP after RE training (r = 0·47; P = 0·03). Similar correlations between acute and chronic responses were also observed for diastolic BP (r = 0·70; P = 0·01), mean BP (r = 0·58; P = 0·01), HR (r = 0·73; P<0·01) and RPP (r = 0·52; P = 0·01).

CONCLUSION: Similar to previously work involving aerobic exercise, BP responses to a single bout of RE are strongly related to chronic effects of RE training on BP in medicated hypertensive elderly women.