Mat Pilates training and blood pressure reactivity responses to psychological stress: comparison between normotensive and hypertensive postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to compare resting blood pressure and blood pressure reactivity responses to psychological stress in normotensive and hypertensive postmenopausal women after 12 weeks of Mat Pilates training.

METHODS

Twenty-three hypertensive and 24 normotensive postmenopausal women, performed Mat Pilates training 3× a week for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, resting blood pressure, heart rate, and blood pressure reactivity to psychological stress through the electronic version of Stroop test protocol (3 minutes) were measured. We calculated the variation (Δ) of blood pressure (peak of blood pressure during the Stroop stress test minus resting blood pressure before test).

RESULTS

The two-way ANOVA showed that the Δ of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and the mean blood pressure was reduced (P < 0.05) after training only in the hypertensive. The resting systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures decreased by (P < 0.05) over time in both groups with no interaction or difference.

CONCLUSION

Mat Pilates was able to reduce resting blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive, and blood pressure reactivity after psychological stress in hypertensive but not in normotensive postmenopausal women.

Effects of light-emitting diode therapy on cardiovascular and salivary nitrite responses in postmenopausal women submitted to a single bout of high-intensity interval training

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) on cardiovascular effort during a single bout of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and on blood pressure (BP), salivary nitrite, and heart rate variability (HRV) responses after the exercise session in postmenopausal women. Sixteen postmenopausal women between 50 and 70 years of age participated in the present study. The intervention comprised two sessions: placebo plus HIIT and LEDT plus HIIT, with a 14-day interval between sessions. The oxygen uptake (VO₂), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored throughout the HIIT sessions. Salivary samples were taken before, immediately post, and 30' and 60' post-HIIT sessions for nitric oxide (NO) analysis. In addition, HR and BP were checked before, 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, and 60 min post-HIIT sessions. HR data were used to calculate the HRV indices. Cardiovascular parameters during HIIT and BP, HRV, and NO responses were not different between placebo and LEDT conditions (p > 0.05). BP responses increased after compared to pre-exercise (p < 0.01). HRV was impaired post- compared to pre-exercise (p < 0.05). LEDT did not improve physiological performance during HIIT and did not accelerate the recovery of BP and autonomic modulation or change the NO release after exercise in postmenopausal women.

Effect of the fourth generation multi-theory model intervention on the quality of life in Iranian postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

Menopause is a natural part of women's lives and is associated with a series of complications that can impair their quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the effect of specific educational interventions on the quality of life among postmenopausal women.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 80 menopausal women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected through the multi-stage stratified random sampling method. The participants were randomly allocated to either the control or intervention group (40 per group). The intervention comprised 5 × 45-min educational sessions based on the Multi-Theory Model on the predetermined days of the week. The scores of the quality of life level were collected at baseline, immediately, and 3 months after the intervention using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MENQOL). The control group received a health advice.

RESULTS

Analysis of variance of repeated measures showed a significant interaction between time and intervention. The comparison between the mean score of quality of life of the "before," "immediately after intervention," and "3 months after the intervention" showed a significant difference between the two groups. The intervention group quality of life improved significantly as the intervention went on compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Structured simple educational programs based on the Multi-Theory Model could be used as a simple and noninvasive intervention that help menopausal women improve their quality of life through menopausal symptoms relief. Further interventions with larger trials may be required to confirm these findings.

CARDIAC AUTONOMIC MODULATION RESPONSE AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN OLDER WOMEN

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze cardiac autonomic modulation response and functional capacity in physically active older women. Methods: Seventy-five older women (60-70 years) from the community were divided into the following groups: sedentary (n=19), hydro-gymnastics (n=18), pilates (n=19), and dance (n=19). Blood pressure, body composition, heart rate variability, and functional capacity were assessed for the characterization of the groups at rest and 48 hours after the last physical exercise session. Results: The sedentary group presented higher waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate compared to the other groups (p<0.05). It was also observed that the dance group presented better functional capacity and VO2peak scores (all p<0.05). Regarding cardiac autonomic modulation, both dance and pilates groups demonstrated better RMSSD (26.71 ± 9.07 and 29.82 ± 7.16, respectively; p<0.05), LF (45.79 ± 14.81 and 45.95 ± 15.16 n.u., respectively; p<0.05), and LF/HF (0.92 ± 0.56 and 0.58 ± 0.26, respectively; p<0.05) scores. In the symbolic analysis, the dance group had a greater predominance of parasympathetic autonomic modulation than the other groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results conclude that physically active elderly women, practicing hydro-gymnastics, pilates or dance, presented physiological benefits, such as better functional capacity and improvements in hemodynamic variables and autonomic cardiac modulation. In addition, the group that practiced dance presented greater parasympathetic modulation, as well as greater functional capacity, when compared to the other modalities. Level of evidence: I; STARD: studies of diagnostic accuracy.

Postexercise hypotension due to resistance exercise is not mediated by autonomic control: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Changes in autonomic control have been suggested to mediate postexercise hypotension (PEH). We investigated through meta-analysis the after-effects of acute resistance exercise (RE) on blood pressure (BP) and autonomic activity in individuals with normal and elevated BP. Electronic databases were searched for trials including: adults; exclusive RE interventions; and BP and autonomic outcomes measured pre- and postintervention for at least 30 min. Analyses incorporated random-effects assumptions. Thirty trials yielded 62 interventions (N = 480). Subjects were young (33.6 ± 15.6 yr), with systolic BP (SBP)/diastolic BP (DBP) of 124.2 ± 8.9/71.5 ± 6.6 mm Hg. Overall, RE moderately reduced SBP (normal BP: ~1 to 4 mm Hg, p < 0.01; elevated BP: ~1 to 12 mm Hg, p < 0.01) and DBP (normal BP: ~1 to 4 mm Hg, p < 0.03; elevated BP: ~0.5 to 7 mm Hg, p < 0.01), which was in general parallel to sympathetic increase (normal BP: g = 0.49 to 0.51, p < 0.01; elevated BP: g = 0.41 to 0.63, p < 0.01) and parasympathetic decrease (normal BP: g = -0.52 to -0.53, p < 0.01; elevated BP: g = -0.46 to -0.71, p < 0.01). The meta-regression showed inverse associations between the effect sizes of BP vs. sympathetic (SBP: slope - 0.19 to -3.45, p < 0.01; DBP: slope - 0.30 to -1.60, p < 0.01), and direct associations vs. parasympathetic outcomes (SBP: slope 0.17 to 2.59, p < 0.01; DBP: slope 0.21 to 1.38, p < 0.01). In conclusion, changes in BP were concomitant to sympathetic increase and parasympathetic decrease, which questions the role of autonomic fluctuations as potential mechanisms of PEH after RE.