Heart disease is already the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood pressure is responsible for 13.8 percent of deaths from this type of disease.
Arterial hypertension is diagnosed when the systolic blood pressure exceeds 140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and/or the diastolic pressure exceeds 90 mmHg. It is a multifactorial disorder triggered by problems such as an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.
Beyond a balanced diet, it has been known for some time that strength training is a therapeutic option for hypertension, but the most effective protocols are not sufficiently clear. Now, a study from the State University of São Paulo (UNESP) in Brazil, published in the journal Scientific Reports, supports that strength training performed at a moderate to vigorous intensity two or three times a week It is an effective way to give relief from high blood pressure. Pressure.
The mechanisms by which aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure have been well studied, but little has been done on the effects of resistance exercise on hypertension, based on the data reflected in the review by these investigators.
Led by Giovanna Rampazo Teixeira [Giovana Rampazzo Teixeira], a professor in the Department of Physical Education at Presidente Prudent at UNESCO, the group analyzed more than 21,000 scientific articles and conducted a Cochrane meta-analysis, which is considered the gold standard of systematic reviews. According to the authors, the analysis focused on the effects of variables such as age, dose-response training, load, volume and frequency.
In this study, the sample consisted of 253 hypertensive subjects with a mean age of 59.66 years, and the meta-analysis focused on hypertensive responses at baseline and the effects of training eight years or more after training in controlled studies. used to evaluate
“We were particularly interested in the volume and intensity that were considered sufficient to achieve a significant reduction in blood pressure. Over an average duration, eight to ten weeks of strength training resulted in a 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure.” at 4.79 mmHg diastolic,” Teixeira told the São Paulo State Foundation for Research Protection Agency (FAPESP).
The study showed that effective results appeared around the twentieth training session. The blood pressure remained low for about 14 weeks after the training ended. “In clinical practice and in gyms or fitness centers, strength training may be a treatment option for people with arterial hypertension as a non-pharmacological intervention, provided the key variables are adequately known and the objectives are taken into account.” be kept in.” , Teixeira has exposed.
Systematic review
For a long time, only aerobic training was prescribed for the treatment of hypertension, and molecular studies focused almost exclusively on the effects of this type of exercise.
“Strength training was recently included in the Brazilian guidelines on the treatment of arterial hypertension, but more research is needed to obtain strong evidence. In future studies responsible for reducing vascular and arterial pressure Molecular mediators should be examined during strength training”, Teixeira said. ,
The systematic review examined a total of 21,132 scientific articles in search of large and strong evidence of the effects of resistance training on hypertension. Previous reviews on this topic found similar evidence, but this study builds on the basis by collecting additional evidence on the effects of age, weight, intensity and frequency.
After excluding 21,035 articles that did not meet the objectives of the review, the investigators discarded 43 of the remaining 97 articles due to duplication, leaving 54 articles for full-text analysis. Fourteen were deemed relevant for inclusion in the systematic review.
The results of the analysis showed that resistance training protocols with a moderate to vigorous intensity, a frequency of at least twice a week and a minimum duration of eight weeks were most effective in reducing blood pressure.
Moderate-to-vigorous load intensity was defined as greater than 60 percent of the heaviest weight the subjects could lift once, known as the one-repetition maximum, or 1RM, such as 10 kg. For 1RM, the most effective training load would be greater than 6 kg.
Most of the study sample was between the ages of 60 and 68. Only two were youth (18–46). Seven included both women and men, seven only women and one only men.
A subgroup analysis further revealed an effect of age on the effects of resistance training, which significantly reduced blood pressure in the 18–50 age group compared to the 51–70 age group. “In any case, strength training can be practiced at any age. The effect on blood pressure is also beneficial in older people,” Teixeira explained.
Thus, future studies should investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the reduction in blood pressure in response to resistance training.
Current knowledge suggests that it increases heart rate, increases nitrous oxide production, which promotes vasodilation and increases blood flow by increasing the diameter of blood vessels.
In the long term, this facilitates adaptations such as a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, greater cardiac efficiency and higher VO2max, which is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption achievable during vigorous exercise. Usually measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram body weight per minute (mL/kg/min), VO2max is relevant to cardiovascular health.
Among the limitations of the analysis noted by the authors was the inclusion of patients taking antihypertensive medications such as beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium antagonists, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in 11 of the 14 studies. Furthermore, some studies that included men and women in the same group failed to conduct gender-sensitive analyzes of the effects of resistance training.