Acute effect of resistance training without recovery intervals on the blood pressure of comorbidity-free elderly women: a pilot study

Short-duration dynamic power training with elastic bands combined with endurance training: a promising approach to hypertension management in older adults

Previous studies have investigated the effects of different combined training programs involving traditional resistance training and aerobic exercise on hemodynamic parameters and arterial stiffness in older adults. However, little is known about the impact of power training combined with endurance training on these variables in hypertensive older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dynamic power training with elastic bands combined with endurance training on arterial stiffness and hemodynamic parameters in hypertensive older adults. Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to the control group (CG; n = 13) and the intervention group (n = 13). IG participants performed power training with elastic bands combined with endurance training twice a week for 8 weeks. Pulse pressure, central pulse pressure, pulse wave velocity, SBP, DBP, central SBP, and central DBP were assessed before and after 8 weeks using the triple pulse wave velocity method. Pulse pressure, central pulse pressure, pulse wave velocity, SBP, DBP, central SBP, and central DBP significantly improved after 8 weeks of intervention (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that power training with elastic bands combined with endurance training reduces arterial stiffness and significantly improves hemodynamic parameters in older adults diagnosed with grade 1 hypertension. In addition, underscores the potential of this approach as a promising strategy for the management of hypertension in older adults.

Impact of dynamic explosive resistance exercise with elastic bands on pulse pressure in hypertensive older adults: a randomized crossover study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the acute responses of pulse pressure (PP), SBP, and DBP to dynamic explosive resistance exercise (DERE) with elastic resistance bands in hypertensive older adults.

METHODS

Eighteen hypertensive older adults were randomly assigned to participate in DERE and control sessions. PP, SBP, and DBP were measured before (baseline) and after each session (immediately, 10, and 20 min after the session). The DERE protocol has five sets of two consecutive exercises.

RESULTS

There was an important clinical decrease in PP (Δ = -7.8 mmHg; dz = 0.7) and in DBP (Δ = -6.3 mmHg; dz = 0.6) favoring the exercise session post-20 min in the intersession comparison. DERE also promoted lowering levels in SBP (140.3 ± 16.0 vs. 126.2 ± 14.3 mmHg; Δ = -14.1 mmHg; P  = 0.04) with a large effect size ( dz = 0.9) post-20 min when compared to the control session.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that DERE with elastic resistance bands improved SBP in hypertensive older adults. In addition, our results support the hypothesis that DERE can an important clinical decrease in PP and DBP. According to this, professionals may have additional exercise training possibilities with elastic resistance bands when prescribing resistance exercises for systemic arterial hypertension treatment in this population.

Cardiovascular Autonomic Responses to Aerobic, Resistance and Combined Exercises in Resistance Hypertensive Patients

Here, we report the acute effects of aerobic (AER), resistance (RES), and combined (COM) exercises on blood pressure, central blood pressure and augmentation index, hemodynamic parameters, and autonomic modulation of resistant (RH) and nonresistant hypertensive (NON-RH) subjects. Twenty participants (10 RH and 10 NON-RH) performed three exercise sessions (i.e., AER, RES, and COM) and a control session. Hemodynamic (Finometer®, Beatscope), office blood pressure (BP), and autonomic variables (accessed through spectral analysis of the pulse-to-pulse BP signal, in the time and frequency domain-Fast Fourrier Transform) were assessed before (T0), one-hour (T1), and twenty-four (T2) hours after each experimental session. There were no changes in office BP, pulse wave behavior, and hemodynamic parameters after (T0 and T1) exercise sessions. However, AER and COM exercises significantly reduced sympathetic modulation in RH patients. It is worth mentioning that more significant changes in sympathetic modulation were observed after AER as compared to COM exercise. These findings suggest that office blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and hemodynamic parameters returned to baseline levels in the first hour and remained stable in the 24 hours after the all-exercise sessions. Notably, our findings bring new light to the effects of exercise on RH, indicating that RH patients show different autonomic responses to exercise compared to NON-RH patients. This trial is registered with trial registration number NCT02987452.

Do All Resistance Exercise Protocols Improve the Functional Parameters of the Elderly? A Review Study

Context: Aging has been associated with negative changes in the neuromuscular system, significantly impairing the performance of daily life activities. A number of studies have validated functional tests (e.g. timed-up-and-go, gait speed) for the assessment of daily activity performance in the elderly. Thus, it is critical to understand the role of exercise training in this context. The practice of resistance training (RT) has been found to promote muscle strength in the elderly; however, we cannot safely state that any of these resistance exercise protocols would lead to improved performance of functional parameters (e.g. timed-up-and-go, gait speed, getting out of a chair) of this population. To assess the effects of RT on functional parameters of the elderly and to undertake a detailed assessment of the exercise protocols surveyed. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and PEDro databases were used to search the literature. A total of 917 articles were initially selected, of which 10 peer-reviewed articles met the search criteria. Results: In the included studies, the positive effects of RT on the functional parameters of the elderly were observed. The training protocols presented the following characteristics: duration of 12 – 16 - 24 - 36 - 60 - 72 sec and 96 sessions; frequency of 1 - 3 sessions per week; training volume of 2 - 5 sets of 4 - 15 repetitions; 40 - 60 - 90 - 120 - 180 sec rest interval between sets; 40 - 60 - 90 - 120 - 180 sec rest interval between exercises; 24 - 48 - 72 hour rest interval between sessions; 40 - 85% intensity of one maximum repetition; isotonic contractions, contraction velocity (as fast as possible-1 - 2 - 3 seconds to concentric and 2 - 3 seconds to eccentric phases). Conclusions: Although the benefits of RT were observed, it was not possible to determine that any of these resistance exercise protocols would lead to improved performance of functional parameters (e.g. timed-up-and-go, gait speed, getting out of a chair) of this population, given the limitations we found in the research papers reviewed.

Resistance Training and Stroke: A Critical Analysis of Different Training Programs

The aim of this study was to carry out a literature review on the overall benefits of resistance training (RT) after stroke and undertake a critical analysis of the resistance exercise programs surveyed (rest interval between sets and exercises, number of sets, number of repetitions, intensity, duration of training, and weekly frequency). To obtain articles for the review, we searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Inclusion criteria were considered using the PICO (population, intervention, control/comparison, and outcome variables) model. The following characteristics were recorded for all articles: type of study, author, year of publication, participants (time after stroke, sample size, and age), benefits of RT, and structured resistance exercise programs. Positive effects of training were found on anxiety status, quality of life, muscle hypertrophy, cognitive function, strength, and muscle power. Only 5 studies described the main variables of RT in detail. Lack of control of some variables of RT may negatively affect the results of this practice. The findings of the present study may further inform health and physical conditioning professionals on the importance and necessity of using the main variables in the search for benefits for individuals with stroke.

Hypertension and Exercise Training: Evidence from Clinical Studies

Hypertension is a worldwide prevalent disease, mostly manifested as its primary ethiology, characterized by a chronic, multifactorial, asymptomatic, and usually incurable state. It is estimated that more than one billion of the world population is hypertensive. Also, hypertension is the main cause of the two most frequent causes of death worldwide: myocardial infarction and stroke. Due to the necessity of the cardiovascular system to manage chronically increased levels of blood pressure, hypertension causes severe alterations in multiple organs, as the heart, vessels, kidneys, eyes and brain, thus increasing the risk of health complications. The heart is the main target organ and suffers several adaptations to compensate the increased blood pressure levels; nevertheless, long-term adaptations without proper control are extremely harmful to cardiovascular health. On the other hand, hypertension is a modifiable risk factor and its adequate control is highly dependent on lifestyle. Pharmacological treatment is of great success when adherence is high. Several classes of antihypertensive drugs are prescribed and can effectively maintain blood pressure within acceptable levels. However, non-pharmacological methods, as diet and exercise training, can not only optimize the treatment but also prevent or postpone hypertension development as well as its complications, acting as important complements to the ideal control of elevated blood pressure, and bringing together benefits beyond blood pressure decrease, as a general health status improvement and increased quality of life. There is consistent evidence that regular exercise training promotes several benefits when properly prescribed and practised, acting as "medicine" for dozens of chronic diseases. The effects of exercise training in blood pressure levels and in its mechanisms of control are of clinical relevance and efficacy. This chapter will describe the classical and recent results on the beneficial effects of different modalities of exercise training in the cardiovascular system of human primary hypertension, focusing on the mechanisms influenced by exercise training which help to decrease blood pressure and improve the cardiovascular system.