title: Intraocular pressure variation during weight lifting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of weight lifting on intraocular pressure (IOP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects performed 4 repetitions of a bench press exercise in 2 ways: in mode I (right eyes), the breath was held during the last repetition; in mode II (left eyes), subjects exhaled normally during the last repetition. The IOP was measured with an electronic tonometer during the fourth repetition in both modes while the subject sustained the exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean IOP during exercise in mode I increased by 4.3 +/- 4.2 mm Hg (P<.001, paired t test; range, -3.6 to 17.7 mm Hg). In mode II, mean IOP increased by 2.2 +/- 3.0 mm Hg (P<.001, paired t test; range, -6.0 to 8.7 mm Hg). The IOP increased in 90% of subjects in mode I and in 62% in mode II. An increase in IOP greater than 5.0 mm Hg was observed in 9 subjects (30%) in mode I and in 6 (21%) in mode II. In 2 subjects, IOP during exercise mode I was markedly increased (>10.0 mm Hg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IOP increases significantly during a bench press exercise. Breath holding during the exercise leads to a greater IOP increase.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Specialized Ophthalmology and UNIPLAC School of Medicine, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geraldo Magela
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Hildeamo Bonifácio
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Daniel Tavares
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Martim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bottaro
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ritch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000502:physiology*