Blood pressure and cardiac autonomic adaptations to isometric exercise training: A randomized sham-controlled study.
Anthony DecauxJamie J EdwardsHarry T SwiftPhilip HurstJordan HopkinsJonathan D WilesJamie M O'DriscollPublished in: Physiological reports (2022)
Isometric exercise training (IET) is increasingly cited for its role in reducing resting blood pressure (BP). Despite this, few studies have investigated a potential sham effect attributing to the success of IET, thus dictating the aim of the present study. Thirty physically inactive males (n = 15) and females (n = 15) were randomly assigned into three groups. The IET group completed a wall squat intervention at 95% peak heart rate (HR) using a prescribed knee joint angle. The sham group performed a parallel intervention, but at an intensity (<75% peak HR) previously identified to be inefficacious over a 4-week training period. No-intervention controls maintained their normal daily activities. Pre- and post-measures were taken for resting and continuous blood pressure and cardiac autonomic modulation. Resting clinic and continuous beat-to-beat systolic (-15.2 ± 9.2 and -7.3 ± 5.6 mmHg), diastolic (-4.6 ± 5 and -4.5 ± 5.1), and mean (-7 ± 4.2 and -7.5 ± 5.3) BP, respectively, all significantly decreased in the IET group compared to sham and no-intervention control. The IET group observed a significant decrease in low-frequency normalized units of heart rate variability concurrent with a significant increase in high-frequency normalized units of heart rate variability compared to both the sham and no-intervention control groups. The findings of the present study reject a nonspecific effect and further support the role of IET as an effective antihypertensive intervention. Clinical Trials ID: NCT05025202.
Keyphrases
- heart rate
- heart rate variability
- blood pressure
- randomized controlled trial
- hypertensive patients
- high frequency
- left ventricular
- clinical trial
- double blind
- blood glucose
- heart failure
- skeletal muscle
- radiation therapy
- high resolution
- transcranial magnetic stimulation
- high intensity
- adipose tissue
- squamous cell carcinoma
- atrial fibrillation
- type diabetes
- study protocol
- high speed
- climate change
- weight loss
- ejection fraction
- single molecule
- atomic force microscopy
- locally advanced
- case control
- insulin resistance