Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, recently led a new analysis of previously conducted studies to explore the role of IRT training in reducing high blood pressure. The results showed that IRT can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Although currently, IRT is not recommended by many international guidelines for the treatment of hypertension.
In this meta-analysis published in the Hypertension Research journal, senior author of the study, Dr. Matthew Jones, an accredited exercise physiologist and lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the School of Health Sciences, UNSW, explains, "IRT is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure. It is a time-efficient tool, he says. A review of the research found that a person needed to exercise only 12 minutes a day, 2 to 3 days per week, to get the best effects of this type of exercise.
What Is Isometric Resistance Training?
Isometric Resistance Training is force-based training, such as squats or push-ups, in which muscles gain power. Currently, IRT is not recommended by many international organizations for the treatment of hypertension. This has led to concerns about its safety, because the static nature of IRT markedly increases blood pressure during exercise, especially when performing traditional strength training such as weightlifting or aerobic exercise using large muscle groups or at high intensity.
Dr. Jones explains that “it is ideal for people who may have difficulty doing more ‘traditional’ workouts such as walking, cycling or strength training. In the study, the researchers were surprised to see that there was no rise in the risk of side effects of these exercises in the older adults who were the subjects during the research. But he also adds that it is still unclear how different types and frequencies of IRTs may affect results and whether they will be safe.
Major Risk Factors For Global Mortality
Significantly, hypertension affects 1.13 billion people worldwide. According to the statistics, in the year 2019, 10.8 million people died due to this problem. Globally, it is one of the leading risk factors for death. Talking about the Australian population alone, more than a third of the population over the age of 18 suffers from high blood pressure, but about 50 percent of the victims are unaware of this. Given the impact of this global health challenge, the research emphasizes the need to develop strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of hypertension. High blood pressure falls in the high-risk category for heart attack or stroke (cardiovascular diseases). That's why it's important to keep an eye on blood pressure levels. People over the age of 18 are advised to have a blood pressure test at least once every two years.
Analysis Of Current Research
Dr. Jones explains that in the research, we found that over a period of 24 hours, IRT also improved measurements of blood pressure, none of which had been previously reviewed. Looking at measurements taken as part of routine clinical practice, the researchers found that Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) decreased by an average of 6.97 mm Hg among the IRT group compared with controls. Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) also decreased by an average of 3.86 mm Hg.
These measurements also include central blood pressure (the pressure in the largest artery of the heart – an important predictor of aorta and heart disease) and, to an extent, outpatient blood pressure (average blood pressure).
The researchers included 24 randomized control trials in the analysis, involving 1,143 participants with an average age of 56 years. Of the total group, 56% were women. Participants in the study included people whose normal systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 130–139 millimeters (mm Hg). These included grade 1 hypertension: an SBP of 140–159 mm Hg and grade 2 hypertension: an SPB of greater than 160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of greater than 100 mm Hg. The researchers only included IRT tests that lasted at least 3 weeks.
“There is a clear need for large, high-quality randomized controlled trials to better assess the effect of IRT on blood pressure,” explains Dr. Jones. He acknowledged that the limitations of the research were not 'high quality' with respect to the studies included in the scientific literature review. This means that the research team could not be completely sure about their results.
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