May 27, 2013Open Access

Resistance training decreases 24-hour blood pressure in women with metabolic syndrome

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Other. Population: Metabolic syndrome (n=17). Intervention: Resistance training vs. Baseline (pre-training) and women without metabolic syndrome. Primary outcome: Mean night-time blood pressure (MD -3.9 mmHg, p=0.04).

Key Result

Eight weeks of resistance training significantly decreased mean and diastolic night-time blood pressure by 3.9 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg, respectively, in women with metabolic syndrome.

PICO

Population

17 middle-aged women (9 with metabolic syndrome and 8 without), with no prior resistance training experience, who completed an 8-week resistance training program.

Intervention / Comparator

Resistance training vs Baseline (pre-training) and women without metabolic syndrome (3 sessions/week, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions maximum of 12 exercises)

Primary Outcome

Mean night-time blood pressure — MD -3.9 mmHg, p=0.04

Main Result

Mean Difference: -3.9

p-value: p=0.04

Limitations

Small sample size
Intervention lasted only eight weeks
No mechanisms regarding the chronic decrease of BP were investigated
Use of 48 h BP monitoring instead of 24 h could increase reproducibility
Lack of wrist actigraphy to precisely determine sleep spans

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of eight weeks of resistance training (RT) on 24 hour blood pressure (BP) in patients with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: Seventeen women volunteered to participate in this study, 9 with MetS (37.0 ± 8.7 yrs; body mass 77.3 ± 9.7 kg; body mass index 30.3 ± 4.2 kg · m(-2)) and 8 without MetS (35.1 ± 7.2 yrs; body mass 61.3 ± 8.1 kg; body mass index 24.2 ± 2.5 kg · m(-2)). Individuals were subjected to eight weeks (3 times/week) of whole body RT comprised of one exercise for each main muscle group with three sets of 8-12 repetitions of each subject's maximal load . A rest interval of one minute was allowed between sets and exercises. Twenty-four hour BP was measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. RESULTS: Mean and diastolic night-time BP decreased (-3.9 mmHg, p = 0.04; -5.5 mmHg, p = 0.03, respectively) after eight weeks of training in MetS patients. This decrease was observed at 11:00 pm, 02:00 am (only diastolic), 07:00 am, and 6:00 pm. There was no training effect on BP in women without MetS. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the elevation of BP as a contributor to the pathogenesis of MetS, and also to the increase of cardiovascular risk, this study supports RT as a non-pharmacological therapy in the management of BP control for MetS.

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