Post-resistance exercise hypotension in patients with intermittent claudication

• Main Authors: Gabriel Grizzo Cucato, Raphael Mendes Ritti-Dias, Nelson Wolosker, José Maria Santarem, Wilson Jacob Filho, Claudia Lúcia de Moraes Forjaz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculdade de Medicina / USP 2011-01-01
• Series: Clinics
• Subjects: Blood pressure; Strength exercise; Peripheral artery disease; Recovery; Cardiovascular load
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1807-59322011000200007

OBJECTIVE: To verify the acute effects of resistance exercise on post-exercise blood pressure in patients with intermittent claudication. METHODS: Eight patients randomly underwent two experimental sessions: a session of resistance exercise (R: 6 exercises, 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 reps with a perceived exertion of 11 to 13 on the 15-grade Borg scale) and a control session (C: resting on exercise machines). RESULTS: Before and for 60 min following an intervention, auscultatory blood pressure was measured while subjects rested in a sitting position. After the C session, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures did not change from the pre-intervention values, while these values decreased significantly after the R session throughout the entire recovery period (greatest decreases = -14 ± 5, -6±5, and -9 ± 4 mmHg, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After a single bout of resistance exercise patients with intermittent claudication exhibited reduced systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures, suggesting that acute resistance exercise may decrease cardiovascular load in these patients.