May 18, 2021, 3:36 am | Read time: 4 minutes
One in three Germans has high blood pressure, and the trend is rising. One of the main causes of the condition, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack if left untreated, is physical inactivity. There are many studies on the effects of exercise to lower blood pressure–some with varying results. Can recommendations for specific training be derived from the research, depending on blood pressure levels?
In a study published in 2021, researchers from the universities of Basel, Oxford, and Lisbon, along with scientists from Norway, Russia, Spain, Slovenia, and Italy, analyzed the results of 34 meta-analyses on the blood pressure-lowering effects of exercise.1 They examined aerobic endurance training, dynamic, and isometric resistance training in patients with high blood pressure, high-normal, and normal blood pressure.
Overview
Lowering Blood Pressure Through Exercise – Results
Endurance training can be recommended for patients with high blood pressure, with an expected reduction in blood pressure ranging from –4.9 to –12 mmHg diastolic (the “lower” value). Those who are active for at least 30 minutes five times a week (cycling, walking, or jogging) can effectively lower their blood pressure, according to the German Heart Foundation.
Also of interest: What to Consider When Measuring Blood Pressure?
Recommended Training for High-Normal and Normal Blood Pressure
For patients with high-normal blood pressure, dynamic training (strength training in motion) can be recommended with a blood pressure reduction ranging from –3.0 to –4.7 mmHg diastolic. And for individuals with normal blood pressure but risk factors for developing high blood pressure, isometric training (strength training without movement) can be recommended with a blood pressure reduction of –5.4 to –8.3 mmHg systolic (the “upper” value) and –1.9 to –3.1 mmHg diastolic. The results were published in the “European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.”²
Also of interest: Can Low Blood Pressure Also Be Dangerous?
The Two Blood Pressure Values
The diastolic value measures blood pressure while the heart refills with blood, between two heartbeats. The systolic value shows the pressure with which blood is pumped from the heart into the body.
Whether this means that dynamic strength training does not lower blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure remains to be clarified; likewise, the reverse case for people with high-normal blood pressure–do they not benefit from isometric strength or resistance training? And what about true hypertensive patients? Is strength training entirely unsuitable for them?
Dynamic and Isometric Training
Classic muscle building in the gym usually involves so-called dynamic training, which involves overcoming higher resistance loads in motion. Examples: bicep curls with dumbbells, pull-ups, deadlifts with a barbell. Isometric training is a full-body workout consisting of static exercises that strengthen and build core muscles, leg muscles, trunk stability, and grip strength. In various exercises, the muscles are maximally tensed but not changed in length, neither stretched nor contracted. Examples: hollow hold, planks, bridge.
Also of interest: Experts Explain How Diet Affects Blood Pressure
Special Case: Hypertensive Patients and Strength Training
It’s clear that patients with high blood pressure should not just “pump away” without caution. However, after a sports medical examination, this is possible, writes fitness professor Dr. Stephan Geisler at FITBOOK on this very question. Strength training can achieve measurable, positive effects in hypertensive patients. Studies conducted years ago, according to Geisler, have shown that such patients can lower their systolic blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg and their diastolic by up to 5 mmHg with strength training programs. This applies to both younger and older individuals (up to 70 years). However, hypertensive patients should focus on fewer repetitions and more intense training. Otherwise, blood pressure continuously rises, explains the sports scientist.