High-intensity exercise promotes postexercise hypotension greater than moderate intensity in elderly hypertensive individuals

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of high-intensity resistance exercise on postexercise hypotension (PEH) and forearm vascular resistance (FVR) in the hypertensive elderly.

Methodology: The study was conducted with ten hypertensive elderly individuals (65 ± 3 years, 28·7 ± 3 kg m(-2)). They were subjected to three experimental sessions: control session (SC), exercise 50% (S50%) and 80% (S80%) of 1RM. For each session, subjects were evaluated pre-and postintervention. In the preintervention, the blood pressure (BP) and FVR were measured after 10 min of rest. Thereafter, they were taken to the gym to perform the exercise sessions or remained at rest in each of the equipment during the same time. Both S50% and S80% were composed of a set of ten repetitions of ten exercises, with an interval of 90 s between exercises. Subsequently, the FVR and BP measurements were again performed at 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 min of recovery (postintervention).

Results: The PEH was greater in S80% compared with S50%, with the lower value of BP being found at 90 min of recovery for the two sessions (systolic BP: 115 ± 3,0 mmHg versus 124 ± 5 mmHg; diastolic BP: 75 ± 5 mmHg versus 86 ± 3 mmHg and mean BP: 87 ± 3 mmHg versus 95 ± 4 mmHg, respectively). Concomitantly, the FVR also decreased significantly in both sessions, this reduction being more evident in S80% (P<0·05).

Conclusion: High-intensity resistance exercise was effective in promoting PEH, this phenomenon being accompanied by a reduction in FVR within the first minute of recovery in the hypertensive elderly.

Keywords: blood pressure; elderly; hypertension; resistance exercise.