Hemodynamic responses during and after multiple sets of stretching exercises performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the acute hemodynamic responses to multiple sets of passive stretching exercises performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver. METHODS: Fifteen healthy men aged 21 to 29 years with poor flexibility performed stretching protocols comprising 10 sets of maximal passive unilateral hip flexion, sustained for 30 seconds with equal intervals between sets. Protocols without and with the Valsalva maneuver were applied in a random counterbalanced order, separated by 48-hour intervals. Hemodynamic responses were measured by photoplethysmography pre-exercise, during the stretching sets, and post-exercise. RESULTS: The effects of stretching sets on systolic and diastolic blood pressure were cumulative until the fourth set in protocols performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver. The heart rate and rate pressure product increased in both protocols, but no additive effect was observed due to the number of sets. Hemodynamic responses were always higher when stretching was performed with the Valsalva maneuver, causing an additional elevation in the rate pressure product. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sets of unilateral hip flexion stretching significantly increased blood pressure, heart rate, and rate pressure product values. A cumulative effect of the number of sets occurred only for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, at least in the initial sets of the stretching protocols. The performance of the Valsalva maneuver intensified all hemodynamic responses, which resulted in significant increases in cardiac work during stretching exercises. .

Cardiovascular responses to passive static flexibility exercises are influenced by the stretched muscle mass and the Valsalva maneuver

BACKGROUND: The respiratory pattern is often modified or even blocked during flexibility exercises, but little is known about the cardiovascular response to concomitant stretching and the Valsalva maneuver (VM) in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and rate-pressure product (RPP) during and after large and small muscle group flexibility exercises performed simultaneously with the VM. METHODS: Asymptomatic volunteers (N = 22) with the following characteristics were recruited: age, 22 ± 3 years; weight, 73 ± 6 kg; height, 175 ± 5 cm; HR at rest, 66 ± 9 BPM; and SBP at rest, 113 ± 10 mmHg. They performed two exercises: four sets of passive static stretching for 30 s of the dorsi-flexion (DF) of the gastrocnemius and the hip flexion (HF) of the ischio-tibialis. The exercises were performed with (V+) or without (V-) the VM in a counterbalanced order. The SBP and HR were measured, and the RPP was calculated before the exercise session, at the end of each set, and during a 30-min post-exercise recovery period. RESULTS: The within-group comparisons showed that only the SBP and RPP increased throughout the sets (p<0.05), but no post-exercise hypotension was detected. The between-group comparisons showed that greater SBP increases were related to the VM and to a larger stretched muscle mass. Differences for a given set were identified for the HR (the HFV+ and HFV- values were higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 BPM), SBP (the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 to 15 mmHg), and RPP (the HFV+ value was higher than the HFV- value by approximately 2000 mmHGxBPM, and the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 4000 mmHGxBPM). CONCLUSION: Both the stretched muscle mass and the VM influence acute cardiovascular responses to multiple-set passive stretching exercise sessions.

Comportamento de variáveis cardiorrespiratórias em idosos e jovens durante 15 minutos de recuperaçäo após esforços de diferentes intensidades / Behavior os cardiorespiratory variables in elderly and yong individual during 15 minute recovery after efforts of varying intensities

Sabe-se pouco sobre os efeitos do envelhecimento na recuperaçäo pós-esforço (RP). O estudo observou a RP em 15 idosos (GI, idade= 61 ± 1 anos) e 15 jovens (GJ, idade= 22 ± 2 anos) após atividades de três intensidades (IE) em cicloergômetro. Realizaram-se testes máximos, com incremento de 30W/min para GJ e de 25W/min após detecçäo de steadystate para GI. Posteriormente, os grupos pedalaram a 40 e 75o da carga máxima, respectivamente, 25 e 15 minutos. Foram acompanhados VOz, VCO, Vç e FC nos primeiros 15 minutos da RP nas três IE. O tratamento dos resultados compreendeu: a) teste de ajustamento das curvas experimentais a equações com uma ou duas exponenciais; b) cálculo do valor dos componentes para a equaçäo mais ajustada; c) análise das constantes extraídas. Os desvios de ajustamento foram inferiores para uma curva de duas exponenciais, definida por integral de tempo na forma A/a +B/(3. A/a designa a componente rápida da recuperaçäo e B/(3 a lenta. Quando comparados os grupos, GI mostrou constantes maiores que GJ, evidenciando recuperaçäo mais lenta nas duas fases. Subdividindo os componentes, em GI e GJ as constantes de velocidade de recuperaçäo rápida (1/a) para VO, e VC02 foram semelhantes nas três IE, enquanto para a constante lenta (I/(3), os valores para GI indicaram maior dependência em relaçäo à carga. A recuperaçäo da FC revelou-se extremamente dependente da IE para GJ. Para GI isso foi menos evidente, talvez...