Blood pressure changes during different methods of resistance training in normotensive and stage 1 hypertensive individuals: a repeated measures cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Stage 1 hypertension influences acute cardiovascular responses to resistance exercises and post-exercise recovery. We examined whether the order of exercises, particularly in agonist-antagonist pairings, can alter these cardiovascular responses. This study compares systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses during agonist and agonist-antagonist paired sets of upper and lower-body resistance exercises with a load of 75% repetition maximum in individuals with normotension and stage 1 hypertension.

Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 47 participants with sedentary jobs, comprising 30 normotensive individuals (47.8 ± 5.9 years, height 174.8 ± 10.2 cm, weight 77.7 ± 15.4 kg, BMI 25.3 ± 3.6 kg/m²) and 17 hypertensive individuals (54.3 ± 6.0 years, 177.6 ± 11.3 cm, 89.8 ± 16.4 kg, BMI 28.5 ± 4,5 kg/m²). Acute cardiovascular parameters were measured using an arteriograph, a non-invasive device designed to assess vascular stiffness and cardiovascular health, after each set of resistance training.

Results: No significant differences in systolic blood pressure changes were found between the resistance training methods and aerobic exercise when comparing normotensive and hypertensive individuals. However, significant increases in systolic blood pressure were observed during lower-body exercises (11.3-24.7 mmHg for normotensives and 11.7-24.1 mmHg for hypertensives, p < 0.05). Hypertensive individuals showed slightly higher increases during lower-body supersets (p < 0.05). Regarding diastolic blood pressure, significant decreases were noted during upper-body resistance training for both groups, especially for normotensives (-10.6 to -13.7 mmHg, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Agonist and agonist-antagonist paired set resistance training for both lower and upper-body exercises resulted in similar blood pressure changes in individuals with normotension and stage 1 hypertension. These findings suggest that both methods may have comparable cardiovascular effects across blood pressure.

Trial registration: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06047678). Registration date: 31 August 2023.