Comparative Acute Effects of Isometric Handgrip Exercise and High- Intensity Physical Exercise on Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate of Prehypertensive Individuals

Introduction: Prehypertension is a major precursor to hypertension and increased cardiovascular risk. Non-pharmacological interventions particularly physical exercise has been considered as the first-line of management for prehypertension, but Isometric Exercise has not been favourably considered because of its association with exaggerated acute cardiovascular response. Aim: This study therefore investigated and compared the acute cardiovascular responses of Isometric handgrip exercise at various intensities and high-intensity dynamic physical exercise. Methods: An experimental study design was adopted, involving a total of 96 participants. The high-intensity dynamic exercise was football while the Isometric exercise is a handgrip exercise (IHE) at 30% and 50% Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC). Changes in cardiovascular parameters such as the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were studied among prehypertensive individuals. These parameters were assessed at baseline, immediately after exercise, and during recovery periods. Results: All exercise modalities produced significant increases in HR, SBP, and DBP (p < 0.05). Dynamic exercise produced the greatest HR elevation (72.4 ± 6.7 to 154.8 ± 13.1 bpm) with the fastest recovery, whereas IHE at 50% MVC produced the highest SBP and DBP responses (approximately 160/110 mmHg) with delayed recovery. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that both forms of exercise produced significant acute cardiovascular responses in prehypertensive individuals, with the nature and magnitude of those responses determined primarily by exercise modality and contraction intensity.