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Greater postexercise hypotension response in low-load and high-volume resistance training versus high-load and low-volume resistance training

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Abstract

Background

The post-exercise hypotension response (PEH) has been shown to be dependent on the load and volume of a resistance training (RT) prescription.

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare the PEH between a low-load and high-volume and a high-load and low-volume RT session.

Methods

Ten young men with more than 2 years of RT experience participated in the study. All subjects were submitted to 5 and 15 repetition maximum tests, in counterbalanced order, for the following exercises: back squat, chest press, leg press and wide grip pulldown. Then, the subjects performed two protocols (P5 and P15) that consisted of three sets to volitional failure with 2-min rest intervals between sets and exercises. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after 60 min following each session at 10-min time points.

Results

Significantly greater total training volume was observed for all exercises in P15 (p < 0.05), whereas a significantly greater load was observed in P5 (p < 0.05). It was observed that the P15 session stimulated a greater PEH, with small to large effect sizes at various time points post-exercise, while the effect sizes for the P5 session were trivial in magnitude. Additionally, a significantly greater HR response was observed for the P15 versus the P5 during the recovery period.

Conclusion

Low-load and high-volume RT stimulated greater PEH compared to high-load and low-volume RT, suggesting the importance of RT volume in promoting healthy BP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas, 540, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Cep: 21941-590, Brazil

    Raphael Malheiros, Igor Nasser & Humberto Miranda

  2. School of Physical Education and Sports, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Igor Nasser & Humberto Miranda

  3. LADTEF, Performance, Training and Physical Exercise Laboratory, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Igor Nasser & Humberto Miranda

  4. Health and Human Performance Department, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, USA

    Jeffrey M. Willardson

Authors
  1. Raphael Malheiros
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  2. Igor Nasser
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  3. Jeffrey M. Willardson
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  4. Humberto Miranda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Igor Nasser.

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The authors of the present study declare that they have no potential conflict interest to disclose.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (CAAE: 51654515.1.0000.5257) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All subjects of the study signed an informed consent prior to investigation with all experimental procedures.

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Malheiros, R., Nasser, I., Willardson, J.M. et al. Greater postexercise hypotension response in low-load and high-volume resistance training versus high-load and low-volume resistance training. Sport Sci Health 16, 393–400 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00614-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00614-5

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