Dg. Sale et al., COMPARISON OF BLOOD-PRESSURE RESPONSE TO ISOKINETIC AND WEIGHT-LIFTING EXERCISE, European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 67(2), 1993, pp. 115-120
Brachial arterial pressure, oesophageal pressure, and knee joint angle
were monitored in eight untrained young men as they performed bilater
al leg-press actions (simultaneous hip and knee extension and ankle pl
antarflexion) against resistance. Single maximal leg-press actions on
an isokinetic device evoked mean peak arterial (systolic/diastolic) pr
essures of 35.4/26.2 and 34.0/23.4 kPa at lever arm velocities of 0.26
2 and 1.31 rad . s-1, respectively. The corresponding oesophageal pres
sures were 13.2 and 10.4 kPa, respectively. Although the peak force wa
s 30% greater, and duration of the action 3-4 times longer at 0.262 th
an 1.31 rad . s-1, the arterial and oesophageal pressure responses did
not differ. On a weight-lifting machine, a set of repetitions [mean (
SEM): 11 (3)] to failure at 80-90% one repetition maximum evoked peak
arterial pressures of 45.5/32.8 kPa; the corresponding oesophageal pre
ssure was 15.7 kPa. The peak systolic and diastolic pressures observed
during weight-lifting were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than durin
g isokinetic actions at both velocities, whereas oesophageal pressure
was more elevated only in relation to isokinetic actions at the higher
velocity. These data indicate that resisted leg-press actions cause e
xtreme elevations in arterial blood pressure. The degree of voluntary
effort is the major determinant of the blood pressure response, rather
than the resistance mode or the type (concentric, eccentric, isometri
c) of muscle action. Repetitive resistance exercise (e.g. a set of rep
etitions to failure in weight-lifting) tends to produce greater pressu
re elevations than isolated, single maximal effort actions.