Resistance Exercise Training Is More Effective than Interval Aerobic Training in Reducing Blood Pressure During Sleep in Hypertensive Elderly Patients.

Bertani, RF, Campos, GO, Perseguin, DM, Bonardi, JMT, Ferriolli, E, Moriguti, JC, and Lima, NKC. Resistance exercise training is more effective than interval aerobic training in reducing blood pressure during sleep in hypertensive elderly patients. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2085-2090, 2018-An appropriate fall in blood pressure (BP) during sleep is known to be related to a lower cardiovascular risk. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of different types of training on hypertensive elderly patients under treatment in terms of pressure variability assessed by the nocturnal decline in BP. Hypertensive elderly subjects under pharmacological treatment were randomly assigned to the following groups: 12 weeks of continuous aerobic training, interval aerobic training (IA), resistance training (R), or control (C). All subjects underwent ambulatory BP monitoring before and 24 hours after the last exercise session. The results were assessed using the mixed effects model. A greater nocturnal decline in diastolic BP compared with the wakefulness period was observed in R in comparison with C (11.0 ± 4.1 vs. 6.0 ± 5.7 mm Hg and p = 0.01) and with IA (11.0 ± 4. vs. 6.5 ± 5.1 mm Hg and p = 0.02). No fall in BP during a 24-hour period was observed in training groups compared with C, perhaps because the subjects were mostly nondippers, for whom the effect of training on BP is found to be lower. In conclusion, resistance training promoted a greater nocturnal fall in BP among hypertensive elderly subjects under treatment compared with IA subjects.

Effect of different types of exercise on sleep quality of elderly subjects.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: There are still many gaps in research concerning the effect of different physical training modalities on sleep quality in the elderly population. Thus, the objective of the present study was to compare the quality of sleep of hypertensive elderly subjects submitted to two types of training (ie, aerobic exercise alone or combined aerobic and resistance training). PATIENTS/METHODS: Participants aged 60-75 years were randomized to three groups: aerobic group (AG), combined aerobic and resistance group (ARG), and control untrained group (CG). Training lasted ten consecutive weeks with 30 uninterrupted sessions. The actigraph (Actiwatch Minimitter Company, INC - Sunriver, OR, USA) was placed on the non-dominant wrist and activities were monitored continuously while being recorded at one minute intervals. The participants kept the device for a period of 96 hours before the first and last training sessions. RESULTS: There was a reduction in sleep fragmentation index of 18.9 for AG and 13 for ARG (p < 0.01) and the sleep efficacy was improved in the exercise groups, with a 5.6% increase for AG (p = 0.02) and a 6.1% increase for ARG (p = 0.01). After training, percentage of minutes motionless was increased by 8.2% for AG and by 6.9% for ARG (p < 0.01), indicating improved sleep quality. A reduction in total activity score during sleep was observed for AG and ARG (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The two types of exercise performed for ten weeks similarly improved sleep quality, thus reducing the fragmentation index, the percentage of minutes in motion and total activity score, and increasing sleep efficacy.

Effect of aerobic training and aerobic and resistance training on the inflammatory status of hypertensive older adults.

There is a relationship between high levels of inflammatory markers and low adhesion to the practice of physical activity in the older population. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of two types of exercise programs, i.e., aerobic training and aerobic plus resistance training on the plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) of elderly hypertensive subjects. Hypertensive older volunteers in use of antihypertensive drugs were randomized to three groups: aerobic group (AG), resistance and aerobic group (RAG) and control group (CG). Training lasted 10 weeks, with sessions held three times a week. Blood samples were collected before training and 24 h after completion of the 30 sessions for the determination of serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels. Body mass index was obtained before and after 10 weeks. After intervention, BMI values were lower in AG and RAG compared to CG (p < 0.001), IL-6 was reduced in AG compared to CG (p = 0.04), and TNF-α levels were lower only in RAG compared to CG (p = 0.01). Concluding, both types of training were effective in reducing BMI values in hypertensive older subjects. Aerobic exercise produced the reduction of plasma IL-6 levels. However, the combination of aerobic and resistance exercise, which would be more indicated for the prevention of loss of functionality with aging, showed lower TNF-α mediator after training than control group and a greater fall of TNF-α levels associated to higher BMI reduction.