Effect of endurance training on sympathetic reactivity by sustained hand grip test

Background: The endurance training plays a key role in maintaining not only the physical fitness but also overall wellness of an individual. It boosts up the immune system and cardiovascular endurance. The training responses were found to be better in hypertensive patients as compared to normotensives. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of endurance training on blood pressure (BP) response to sustained hand grip in the study group and control group before and after 3 months of training. Materials and Methods: Sixty apparently healthy young subjects divided into two groups: Exercise group (30 subjects) control group (30 subjects). Exercise group performed endurance training by running on treadmill alternately for 3 months, while control group did nothing. Tests were carried out with the help of CANWin machine which uses Tacho Cardio Gramme response to sustained hand grip for assessment of sympathetic function reactivity. For the test, subjects were asked to maintain the pressure on dynamometer for 5 min at 30% of maximum voluntary contraction. The BP was recorded at first before start of isometric contraction and at 5 min after the onset of isometric contraction. Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the mean systolic BP (SBP) and mean diastolic BP (DBP) between the exercise and the control group before exercise and after 5 min during exercise. Statistically significant difference was found in the mean change in DBP, but no significant mean change in SBP was found between exercise and control group before exercise and 5 min after (during exercise) after completing endurance training. A significant difference was observed among the exercise group in the change in SBP at 5 min after hand grip during exercise. Conclusion: Parasympathetic functions show favorable changes with aerobic exercise, while sympathetic system does not show such responses.

Effects of Isometric Handgrip Exercise on Blood Pressure and its role in Identifying Hypertensive Risk Individuals

Introduction: Hypertension is a long term medical conditionin which blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevatedand it is a major health care burden. Long standing hypertensionleads to cardiovascular complications and cerebrovascularaccidents. It also causes neuronal disturbances affecting theautonomic nervous system. Isometric handgrip exercise testis a non-invasive physiological test which is done using ahandgrip dynamometer. It can be used to detect the impairmentin the autonomic activity which is seen in individuals who areprone to develop hypertension in the future. Thus, the aim ofthe present study was to assess the efficacy of isometric handexercise on blood pressure in identification of hypertensiverisk individuals and also to determine the role of handgripDynamometer in identifying hypertensive risk individuals.Material and methods: The present study was a cross-sectionalstudy done among 100 healthy normotensive individuals wastaken in the study. All participants were apparently healthy atthe time of isometric handgrip test. Cardiovascular parameterslike systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heartrate were measured before the exercise after following allstandard precautions. The subjects were asked to perform theisometric handgrip exercise using the handgrip dynamometer.Blood pressure was recorded at three occasions– before thetest, during the test and 5 minutes after the test.Results: In the present study, out of 100 individuals, themean age was found to be 55 years among the hypertensiveindividuals. The mean weight was found to be around 78.4±15.0. The mean value of height was found to be 1.42± 0.06.The mean value of increase in SBP and the DBP duringisometric handgrip exercise was significantly higher than thebaseline values. The mean difference for SBP was 9.85 withp value 0.0003 which was observed to be highly significant.Conclusion: Isometric handgrip exercise test was found to beuseful as a screening test in identification of individuals at riskof developing hypertension.

Cardiovascular Responses to Isometric Handgrip Training in Normotensive Medical Students

Background: Dynamic handgrip exercise evaluates autonomicresponses to physical activity. The isometric hand gripexercises training effect on cardiovascular system so thatsimilar benefits if any could also be obtained to same extent insimilar age group if they practice physical training regularly.Though there is a vast knowledge on exercise, but data onexercise and its effects on the cardiovascular system and longterm survival are still limited.Material & Methods: A Randomized cross sectional studydone on 100 MBBS students from Mulayam Singh YadavMedical College Meerut. Subjects were evaluated before andafter the training sessions of isometric handgrip exercise forhemodynamic changes like blood pressure, Pulse rate andmaximum volumetric contraction.Results: In present study the mean value of SBP weresignificant but DBP non- significant (P=0.001, 0.005NSrespectively) in Male and Female (P=0.001, 0.005NSrespectively).Conclusion: Thus the arterial pressure reduction reported inthis study would have an important impact on thesecardiovascular related illnesses. Furthermore, our resultssupport the concept that isometric training is an effectivemodality in the prevention of hypertension.

Comparative study of cardiovascular response in trained and untrained volleyball and basketball players.

Background: Exercise training increases cardiovascular functional capacity and decreases myocardial oxygen demand at any level of physical activity. The aim of present study was to observe and compare the changes induced by isometric hand grip exercise on cardiovascular responses in young healthy male and female trained Volleyball and Basketball players with age and sex matched untrained controls. Methods: This study was carried out at Department of Physiology, J.S.S. Medical College and Hospital. Two hundred and forty (240) participants were included and were divided into trained Volleyball & Basketball players and healthy adult controls of both sex with 40 members in each category. Estimation of SBP, DBP, MAP and HR were carried out before, after and during various duration of exercise by adopting standard procedures Results: The mean SBP, DBP, MAP and HR at various durations for male subjects playing basketball, Volleyball and Control groups shows a significant increase (p<0.0001) in all the parameters at rest, during isometric HG exercise and at post exercise in untrained Control subjects. Conclusions: Exercise training increases cardiovascular functional capacity.

Evaluation of cardiovascular responses to isometric exercise in trained female basket ball and volley ball players.

Background: Physical inactivity is recognized as a risk factor for coronary artery diseases. The aim of present study was to observe changes induced by isometric hand grip exercise on cardiovascular responses in young healthy trained female Volleyball and Basketball players. Methods: This study was carried out at Department of Physiology, J.S.S. Medical College and Hospital. Hundred and eighty (180) female participants were included and were divided into trained Volleyball & Basketball players and healthy adult controls of 60 each. Estimation of SBP, DBP, MAP and HR were carried out before, after and during various duration of exercise by adopting standard procedures Results: The mean SBP, DBP, MAP and HR at various durations for female subjects playing basketball, Volleyball and Control groups shows a significant increase (p<0.0001) in all the parameters at rest, during isometric HG exercise and at post exercise in untrained Controls compared with trained subjects. No significant difference was observed in the above said parameters at rest, during isometric HG exercise and at post exercise between Subjects and between volleyball and basketball players. Conclusions: Exercise leads to significant decrease in cardiovascular stress in trained individuals.