Comparison of Post-Exercise Hypotension Responses in Paralympic Powerlifting Athletes after Completing Two Bench Press Training Intensities

Abstract

Background and objective: Post-exercise hypotension, the reduction of blood pressure after a bout of exercise, is of great clinical relevance. Resistance exercise training is considered an important contribution to exercise training programs for hypertensive individuals and athletes. In this context, post-exercise hypotension could be clinically relevant because it would maintain blood pressure of hypertensive individuals transiently at lower levels during day-time intervals, when blood pressure is typically at its highest levels. The aim of this study was to compare the post-exercise cardiovascular effects on Paralympic powerlifting athletes of two typical high-intensity resistance-training sessions, using either five sets of five bench press repetitions at 90% 1 repetition maximum (1RM) or five sets of three bench press repetitions at 95% 1RM. Materials and Methods: Ten national-level Paralympic weightlifting athletes (age: 26.1 ± 6.9 years; body mass: 76.8 ± 17.4 kg) completed the two resistance-training sessions, one week apart, in a random order. Results: Compared with baseline values, a reduction of 5–9% in systolic blood pressure was observed after 90% and 95% of 1RM at 20–50 min post-exercise. Furthermore, myocardial oxygen volume and double product were only significantly increased immediately after and 5 min post-exercise, while the heart rate was significantly elevated after the resistance training but decreased to baseline level by 50 min after training for both training conditions. Conclusions: A hypotensive response can be expected in elite Paralympic powerlifting athletes after typical high-intensity type resistance-training sessions.

Can Creatine Supplementation Interfere with Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Brazilian National Level Paralympic Powerlifting?

“…Among the deficiencies, two athletes presented spinal cord injury due to accidents with an injury below the eighth thoracic vertebra; two with sequelae due to polio; two had lower limb malformation (arthrogryposis); two had cerebral palsy. The sampling power was calculated based on previous results of our studies [ 2 , 3 ], with an effect size of 0.98 that combined with a standard of α < 0.05 and β = 0.80. Thus, it was possible to estimate a sample power of 0.88, suggesting that the sample size has sufficient statistical strength to answer the research approach.…”

“…Powerlifting (PL) is an international sport where competitors attempt to lift a maximum amount of weight in threeprimary lifts: the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift. These threelifts provide widely accepted measures of upper-body, lower-body, and total body strength [1][2][3]. At all levels of PL, each competing athlete is ranked based on the best of the threevalid attempts afforded for the bench press, squat, and deadlift [1][2][3].…”

“…These threelifts provide widely accepted measures of upper-body, lower-body, and total body strength [1][2][3]. At all levels of PL, each competing athlete is ranked based on the best of the threevalid attempts afforded for the bench press, squat, and deadlift [1][2][3]. The threeare then "totaled," providing a measure of the total weight lifted and determining each athlete's overall place in the competition.…”

“…The threeare then "totaled," providing a measure of the total weight lifted and determining each athlete's overall place in the competition. The skillful execution of each of the threeafforded lifts for the bench press, squat, and deadlift during competitions can be influenced by the subjects' strength and muscle fatigue [1][2][3].…”

“…1RM: 1 repetition maximum. Training carried out three times a week, and the remaining days weredestined to rest[2].…”