The blood pressure-lowering effect of a single bout of resistance exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Background Current exercise guidelines recommend aerobic types of exercises on most days of the week, supplemented with dynamic resistance exercise twice weekly. Whereas the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects of a single session of aerobic exercise have been well studied, less is known about the hypotensive effect of a single bout of resistance exercise. Objectives To evaluate the transient effect of resistance exercise on BP by means of meta-analytic techniques. Methods A systematic electronic search in Medline, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Elton B Stephens Company (EBSCO), EMBASE and SPORTDiscus was completed in March 2015 identifying randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on resting or ambulatory BP in healthy adults. A subsequent meta-analysis was performed. Results The meta-analysis involved 30 studies, 81 interventions and 646 participants (normotensive (n=505) or hypertensive (n=141)). A single bout of resistance exercise elicited small-to-moderate reductions in office systolic BP at 60 minutes postexercise [-3.3 (-4.0 to -2.6)/-2.7 (-3.2 to -2.1) mmHg (CI 95%)], 90 minutes postexercise [-5.3 (-8.5 to -2.1)/-4.7 (-6.9 to -2.4) mmHg (CI 95%)] and in 24-hour ambulatory BP [-1.7 (-2.8 to -0.67)/-1.2 (-2.4 to -0.022) mmHg (CI 95%)] compared to a control session. The reduction in office BP was more pronounced in hypertensive compared to normotensive individuals (p<0.01), when using larger muscle groups (p<0.05) and when participants were recovering in the supine position (p<0.01). Conclusion A single bout of resistance exercise can have a BP-lowering effect that last for up to 24 hours. Supine recovery and the use of larger muscle groups resulted in greater BP reductions after resistance exercise.