Influence of holding weights of different magnitudes on intraocular pressure and anterior eye biometrics

Acute macular neuroretinopathy following Valsalva manoeuvre: an insight into the pathophysiology

Acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) affects the outer retina and is most likely induced by non-inflammatory ischaemia of the retinal deep capillary plexus and choriocapillaris. A man in his early 20s developed Valsalva retinopathy following weightlifting at the gym and presented with blurring of vision in the left eye 1 month after the initial retinal haemorrhages had resolved. A diffuse, purplish, donut-shaped, perifoveal lesion was seen on funduscopy and was well defined by an optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) en face image in the left eye. Outer retinal changes on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and a dense co-localised scotoma on a visual field (VF) examination confirmed the diagnosis of AMN, and the patient was started on a tapering dose of oral steroids. Improvement was seen in OCT, OCTA and VF during the 6-month follow-up visit. The use of OCTA en face imaging enabled the accurate identification of the lesion in the affected layers of the retina.

Influence of the body positions adopted for resistance training on intraocular pressure: a comparison between the supine and seated positions

OBJECTIVES

A variety of factors are known to mediate on the intraocular pressure (IOP) response to resistance training. However, the influence of the body position adopted during resistance training on IOP remain unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the IOP response to the bench press exercise at three levels of intensity when performed in supine and seated positions.

METHODS

Twenty-three physically active healthy young adults (10 men and 13 women) performed 6 sets of 10 repetitions against the 10-RM (repetition maximum) load during the bench press exercise against three levels of intensity (high intensity: 10-RM load; medium intensity: 50% of the 10-RM load; and control: no external load) and while adopting two different body positions (supine and seated). A rebound tonometer was employed to measure IOP in baseline conditions (after 60 s in the corresponding body position), after each of the 10 repetitions, and after 10 s of recovery.

RESULTS

The body position adopted during the execution of the bench press exercise significantly affected the changes in IOP (p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.83), with the seated position providing lower increases in IOP levels compared to the supine position. There was an association between IOP and exercise intensity, with greater IOP values in the more physically demanding conditions (p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.80).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of seated positions, instead of supine positions, for the execution of resistance training should be prioritized for maintaining more stable IOP levels. This set of findings incorporates novel insights into the mediating factors on the IOP response to resistance training. In future studies, the inclusion of glaucoma patients would allow to assess the generalizability of these findings.

Immediate and cumulative effects of upper-body isometric exercise on the cornea and anterior segment of the human eye

Objectives

The execution of isometric resistance training has demonstrated to cause changes in the ocular physiology. The morphology of the cornea and anterior chamber is of paramount importance in the prevention and management of several ocular diseases, and thus, understating the impact of performing isometric exercise on the eye physiology may allow a better management of these ocular conditions. We aimed to determine the short-term effects of 2-minutes upper-body isometric effort at two different intensities on corneal and anterior eye morphology.

Methods

Eighteen healthy young adults performed a 2-minutes isometric biceps-curl exercise against two loads relative to their maximum strength capacity (high-intensity and low-intensity) in a randomized manner. An Oculus Pentacam was used to measure the corneal morphology and anterior chamber parameters in both experimental conditions at baseline, during the isometric effort (after 30, 60, 90 and 120 seconds), and after 30 and 120 seconds of passive recovery.

Results

We found that isometric effort causes an increase in pupil size (P < 0.001), and a decrease in the iridocorneal angle (P = 0.005), anterior chamber volume (P < 0.001) and K-flat (P < 0.001) during isometric effort, with these effects being more accentuated in high-intensity condition (P < 0.005 in all cases).Performing 2-minutes upper-body isometric effort did not alter anterior chamber depth, central corneal thickness, corneal volume, and K-steep (P > 0.05 in all cases).

Conclusions

Our data exhibit that performing 2-minutes of upper-body isometric exercise modifies several parameters of the corneal morphology and anterior eye biometrics, with these changes being greater for the high-intensity exercise condition. The findings of this study may be of relevance for the prevention and management of corneal ectasias and glaucoma.

Short-term effects of two types of goggles on intraocular pressure and anterior eye segment biometrics

Background

To evaluate and compare the changes in intraocular pressure and anterior eye segment biometrics during and after wearing two types of commonly used swimming goggles.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, a total of 40 healthy adults aged between 18 and 60 years old were selected to wear two kinds of common swimming goggles (ocular socket and orbital goggles). Intraocular pressure and anterior segment biometry were evaluated before wearing, at 2 and 5 min of wearing, and at 5 min after removing the goggles. Intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal front keratometry values (K1, K2, Km), central corneal thickness (CCT), central anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber angle (ACA) were measured.

Results

The IOP at 2 min (21.0 ± 2.2 mmHg) and 5 min (21.2 ± 2.3 mmHg) was significantly higher than before wearing goggles (17.7 ± 2.1 mmHg). The IOP after the goggles were removed and at 5 min after the goggles were removed was 18.4 ± 2.3 mmHg and 17.7 ± 2.1 mmHg, respectively. ACV, ACD, and ACA values all decreased while the googles were worn. After the goggles were removed, these changes gradually returned to baseline values, with no significant difference in the values before and after.

Conclusion

This study proves that wearing orbital goggles can lead to an acute increase in IOP and a slight decrease in ACV, ACD, and ACA. However, once the goggles are removed, these indicators return to baseline levels, showing that wearing orbital goggles has no significant lasting effect on IOP and anterior segment parameters.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-022-02308-y.

Intraocular pressure increases during dynamic resistance training exercises according to the exercise phase in healthy young adults

PURPOSE

To determine the intraocular pressure (IOP) changes caused by the execution of lower body and upper body resistance training exercises leading to muscular failure depending on the exercise phase (concentric vs. eccentric). We also assessed the influence of the exercise type (back squat vs. biceps curl) and level of effort on the IOP response.

METHODS

Nineteen physically active young adults performed four sets (2 exercise type × 2 exercise phase) of 10 repetitions leading to muscular failure while adopting a normal breathing pattern. IOP was measured by rebound tonometry at baseline, after each of the ten repetitions, and after 1 min of recovery.

RESULTS

There was a main effect of the exercise phase (p < 0.001, η² = 0.56), observing greater IOP values in the eccentric condition of the back squat and concentric condition of the biceps curl. Also, greater IOP values were obtained for the back squat in comparison with the biceps curl (p < 0.001, η² = 0.61), and IOP progressively increases with the level of accumulated effort (p < 0.001, η² = 0.88; Pearson r = 0.97-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

IOP fluctuates during the different phases of the repetition in dynamic resistance training exercises, being greater IOP values observed during the more physically demanding phases of the exercise (eccentric phase of the back squat and concentric phase of the biceps curl). A heightened IOP response is positively associated with muscle size (back squat > biceps curl) and with the level of effort (number of accumulated repetitions). Based on these findings, highly demanding dynamic resistance training should be avoided when maintaining stable IOP levels is desirable.

Wearing Swimming Goggles Reduces Central Corneal Thickness and Anterior Chamber Angle, and Increases Intraocular Pressure

Purpose/Aim: To assess the changes in anterior eye segment biometrics and intraocular pressure during and after wearing swimming goggles.Materials and methods: Anterior segment biometry and intraocular pressure were assessed in 20 healthy young adults (22.2 ± 4.7 years) during the wearing of a drilled swimming goggle. The central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, anterior chamber volume, and anterior chamber angle, using the Pentacam rotating Scheimpflug camera (Oculus Optikgerate GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany), and intraocular pressure, using a rebound tonometer, were obtained before, at 2, 3.5, and 5 min of wearing swimming goggle, just after removal, as well as after 5 min of recovery.Results: During swimming goggles wear, there was a significant corneal thinning (54.8 ± 41.1 µm, p < .001, ƞ_p² = 0.532), iridocorneal angle reduction (2.6 ± 2.6 degrees, p < .001, ƞ_p² = 0.241) and intraocular pressure elevation (4.0 ± 1.9 mmHg, p < .001, ƞ_p² = 0.530). These changes returned to baseline values immediately after swimming goggle removal (corrected p-value <0.05 in all cases). No significant effects of swimming goggles use were observed for anterior chamber depth and anterior chamber volume.Conclusions: Wearing swimming goggles leads to acute corneal thinning, iridocorneal angle reduction, and intraocular pressure elevation. These findings may be of special relevance for individuals with corneal ectasias, as well as for individuals at high risk of glaucoma onset or progression.