Key result
Isometric exercises involving larger muscle groups, such as two-knee extension, elicited significantly greater acute increases in systolic blood pressure (+9.8 mmHg) compared to handgrip exercise.
Why the study?
It was unclear how blood pressure responds acutely during different types of isometric exercises in adults and whether participant or protocol characteristics influence these responses.
Do isometric exercises involving larger muscle groups elicit greater acute blood pressure responses compared to handgrip exercise in adults?
Systematic Review (n=2,695)
Do isometric exercises involving larger muscle groups elicit greater acute blood pressure responses compared to handgrip exercise in adults?
Mean Difference: 9.8
p-value: p=0.017
Isometric exercises involving larger muscle groups elicit significantly greater acute increases in blood pressure compared to handgrip exercise, particularly in men, older adults, and hypertensive individuals.
Greater acute BP rises with large-muscle isometric exercises warrant caution in hypertensives; extends handgrip data and leaves direct safety comparisons open.
Background: This study aimed to identify the blood pressure (BP) responses during different types of isometric exercises (IE) in adults and to evaluate whether BP responses according to IE is influenced by the characteristics of participants and exercise protocols. Methods: The search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Central, SPORTDiscus, and LILACS databases in June 2020. Random effects models with a 95% confidence interval and p < 0.05 were used in the analyses. Results: Initially, 3201 articles were found and, finally, 102 studies were included in this systematic review, seven of which were included in the meta-analysis comparing handgrip to other IE. Two-knee extension and deadlift promoted greater increases in systolic (+9.8 mmHg; p = 0.017; I2 = 74.5% and +26.8 mmHg; p ≤ 0.001; I2 = 0%, respectively) and diastolic (+7.9 mmHg; p = 0.022; I2 = 68.6% and +12.4 mmHg; p ≤ 0.001; I2 = 36.3%, respectively) BP compared to handgrip. Men, middle-aged/elderly adults, hypertensive individuals, and protocols with higher intensities potentiate the BP responses to handgrip exercise (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: IE involving larger muscle groups elicit greater BP responses than those involving smaller muscle masses, especially in men, middle-aged/elderly adults and hypertensive individuals. Future studies should directly compare BP responses during various types of IE in different populations.
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CONEGLIAN et al. (2023) conducted a systematic review in Hypertension or normotension (n=2,695). Two-knee extension vs. Handgrip was evaluated on Mean difference in acute systolic blood pressure change (MD +9.8 mmHg, p=0.017). Isometric exercises involving larger muscle groups, such as two-knee extension, elicited significantly greater acute increases in systolic blood pressure (+9.8 mmHg) compared to handgrip exercise.
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