The Effect of Resistance Exercise on Recovery Blood Pressure in Normotensive and Borderline Hypertensive Women

Nine normotensive and 7 borderline hypertensive women were studied to investigate the effects of an acute bout of resistance exercise on recovery blood pressure. The investigation was conducted over 3 sessions. During the first session, subjects were assessed for muscular strength while performing the following exercises: chest press, seated leg press, biceps brachii curl, knee extension, and triceps brachii extension. In a subsequent session, subjects completed 3 circuits of the aforementioned exercises at 50% (15 repetitions) of the estimated 1 repetition maximum (1RM), followed by a 60-minute recovery period. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) pressures were assessed via auscultation at 10-minute intervals throughout the recovery period. Subjects were also monitored in a similar manner on a control day in which exercise was excluded. The data were analyzed using a 3-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a predetermined alpha level of p < or = 0.05. Women in the borderline hypertensive group exhibited higher SBP (126.5 +/- 3.1 mm Hg) and higher DBP (85.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) than their normotensive counterparts (103.5 +/- 2.7 mm Hg; 69.3 +/- 1.6 mm Hg) throughout the study. SBP was significantly lower during recovery from the exercise session (113.8 +/- 2.1 mm Hg) compared with the control session (116.1 +/- 2.1 mm Hg). DBP did not vary between sessions. Although blood pressure was higher in borderline hypertensive subjects, the response of both groups during seated recovery was the same. In conclusion, a single bout of resistance exercise appears to invoke a slight systolic hypotensive response during recovery in normotensive and borderline hypertensive women.