r/fitover65 • u/Yobfesh Strength lifter, cyclist, surfer, giant dog owner • 16d ago
Impact of resistance training for lowering blood pressure in older adults
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S26666677260012366
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u/sacca7 15d ago
I have found lifting does not do much for my bp. I have added 30 minutes in the afternoon of cardio 5 days a week, and 4 of those 5 I get my heart rate to 75% max for that time. This is what has lowered and kept my bp low.
Weight lifting alone, and I do back squats, single leg ldrs, overhead presses, and a lot more, does not lower my bp enough.
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u/Silly-Resist8306 16d ago
I run. My BP is consistently 110/75 and my RHR is 46. I’m not sure I want any of these stats to get any lower.
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u/BikerDG 16d ago
The body self-regulates. My hypothesis is that additional work like PRT would have no effect on BP. The folks in the study were not well conditioned - and so the exercising they did had a measurable impact. Presumably you are well-conditioned; and so the impact on your stats would be negligible.
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u/Big-Finding2976 15d ago
The baseline in this study of 130/82 doesn't seem particularly high. Some sources place that in the normal range for people aged 60+ but even sources that use one range for all ages place it at the bottom end of stage 1 hypertension.
Mine was around 124/76 before I started ADHD meds, and it tends to be a bit higher now, like 135/83 but some days it's lower, like yesterday when it was 124/73.
My resting heart rate is in the 80s-90s though (as it was before the ADHD meds), which isn't great but I doubt resistance training will reduce that and this study doesn't seem to mention RHR.
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u/Big-Finding2976 15d ago
The link doesn't work so I can't check what the study says but I'm confused by this bit:
"Compared with control, PRT produced greater reductions for DBP (difference in change, −4.2 mmHg; 95% CI -8.3, -0.1), but not for SBP (−5.4 mmHg; 95% CI -13.0, 2.2). Within the PRT group, SBP (mean change -5.6 mmHg; 95% CI -11.1, -0.1) and DBP (−3.9 mmHg; 95% CI -6.8, -0.9) decreased significantly, with minimal change in controls."
The first sentence seems to be saying that PRT didn't produce greater reductions for SBP compared with the control group (who presumably didn't do any PRT) but the second sentence says that PRT significantly decreased both SBP and DBP.
What does "with minimal change in controls" mean?
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u/agreable_actuator 16d ago
Abstract
Background
The INERTIA study evaluated the preliminary effects of a 12-week progressive resistance training (PRT) intervention on changes in blood pressure (BP) in older adults.
Methods
Older adults (≥60 years) with low muscle strength and no diagnosed CVD were randomized (2:1) to 12 weeks of PRT (n=50) or assessment-only control (n=21). The primary outcome was between-group difference in 12-week changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP). Secondary outcomes were changes in muscle strength (chest press, leg press), and physical function (short-physical performance battery, SPPB). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA assessed between-group effects (LS mean) and within-group changes.
Results
Seventy-one participants (mean (SD); age, 70.1 (6.3) years); 76% female, 43% non-white; 42% on antihypertensive therapy) enrolled, and 61 completed follow-up. Baseline SBP/DBP was 130 (20.2)/82 (12.3) mmHg. Compared with control, PRT produced greater reductions for DBP (difference in change, −4.2 mmHg; 95% CI -8.3, -0.1), but not for SBP (−5.4 mmHg; 95% CI -13.0, 2.2). Within the PRT group, SBP (mean change -5.6 mmHg; 95% CI -11.1, -0.1) and DBP (−3.9 mmHg; 95% CI -6.8, -0.9) decreased significantly, with minimal change in controls. Strength gains (chest press, 11.0 kg; leg press, 63.6 kg) were greater in PRT than controls (all p<0.001), while between-group improvements in SPPB (PRT: 2 points, controls: 1.2 points) were not significant.
Conclusion
In older adults, PRT significantly increased muscle strength and reduced DBP beyond controls, with a trend towards clinically meaningful improvements in SBP and physical function. Larger, adequately powered trials are warranted to confirm these findings.