Interrepetition Rest Set Lacks the V-Shape Systolic Pressure Response Advantage during Resistance Exercise

Abstract

Resistance exercise may lead to an aneurysm due to dangerous levels of systemic hypertension. Thus, a minimized pressure response during exercise may guarantee safer training. For that, we analyzed an interrepetition rest design (IRD) hypothesizing that it would produce a lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) response in comparison with a continuous design (CD). Additionally, we studied the effect of accumulated repetitions on the increasing SBP rate during the first continuous set. Fifteen healthy participants (age: 24 ± 2 years; SBP: 113 ± 8 mmHg) performed leg presses, with 40 repetitions and 720 s of total rest, structured in an IRD of individual repetitions (resting time: 18.5 s), and in a CD of five sets of eight repetitions (resting time: 180 s). Analyses reported an increase (p = 0.013) in the mean peaks of SBP in the IRD (162 ± 21 mmHg), versus the CD (148 ± 19 mmHg), while both augmented versus baselines (p < 0.001). Additionally, the linear model estimated a progressive increase of SBP of around 7 mmHg per repetition. Summarily, the IRD produced a higher mean of the SBP peaks during the 40 repetitions due to lacking the v-shape advantage in comparison with the CD.

Lower Cardiovascular Stress during Resistance Training Performed with Inter-Repetition Rests in Elderly Coronary Patients

“…Specifically, there were significant time × session interactions only for RPP after the 8th and 16th repetitions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence in the literature reporting a reduced hemodynamic load during IRRT in a clinical population which agrees with previous reports with young healthy individuals [15,16]. These findings are of importance as a strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk during RT in these patients.…”

“…Therefore, it would be expected that our SBP recordings were~31% lower in both conditions than those measured with direct methods during lifting [21]. Future studies should be conducted with continuous recording of hemodynamic responses with other measurement techniques during the whole training session to verify potential differences during peak BP responses between set configurations [16]. Second, mechanical performances and perceptual fatigue were not recorded.…”

“…Previously, Iglesias-Soler et al [15] showed in athletes that the IRRT in a squat exercise session elicited lower mean systolic BP (SBP) and rate pressure product (RPP) than a traditional set configuration (TT). More recently, Mayo et al [16] found more SBP peaks but a lower HR and RPP in the recumbent leg press exercise with the IRRT when compared with TT in healthy, young individuals. While differences between studies regarding subjects' characteristics, hemodynamic challenges associated to different exercises and loads, and measurement techniques used could further complicate the understanding of these previous evidence, it could be suggested that the IRRT is superior for cardiac patients given the lower cardiovascular stress expected during RT sessions with this set configuration.…”

Blood Pressure Increase in Hypertensive Individuals During Resistance Training Protocols With Equated Work to Rest Ratio

“…Although different from the dynamic exercise explored in the present study, Río-Rodríguez et al (2016) reported that intra-set rest configuration induced lower central and peripheral fatigue during an isometric knee extension exercise, reducing the cardiovascular stress. Additionally, another study comparing W:R equated RTPs (40 × 1:18.5 s vs. 5 × 8:180 s) in healthy participants found lower SBP peaks with the protocol with longer rest intervals (Mayo et al, 2017). Similarly, a previous study from our group involving normotensive participants also reported lower SBP peaks with a 9 × 5:22 s protocol in comparison with a 3 × 15:88 s protocol (Paulo et al, 2019).…”

“…These findings suggest that the intermediate protocol may be more appropriate for hypertensives than the usual one. Actually, other studies have also compared BP increase during W:R-equated RTPs (Río-Rodríguez et al, 2016;Mayo et al, 2017;Paulo et al, 2019), but none of them was conducted with hypertensive individuals.…”