Does isometric resistance training reduce resting blood pressure in adults?
Isometric resistance training significantly lowers resting systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure, with the greatest magnitude of effect seen in hypertensive males aged ⩾45 years training for >8 weeks.
The objective of our study was to examine the effects of isometric resistance training (IRT) on resting blood pressure in adults. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials lasting ⩾2 weeks, investigating the effects of isometric exercise on blood pressure in healthy adults (aged ⩾18 years), published in a peer-reviewed journal between 1 January 1966 to 31 January 2015. We included 11 randomized trials, totaling 302 participants. The following reductions were observed after isometric exercise training; systolic blood pressure (SBP) mean difference (MD) -5.20 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI) -6.08 to -4.33, P8 weeks.
Inder et al. (Thu,) studied this question.