title: Repeatability of blood pressure measurements during treadmill exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood pressure measurements during exercise are difficult to obtain but are used widely in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to investigate the repeatability of blood pressure measurements and gas exchange parameters during treadmill exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 10 healthy and nonsmoking men (age: 26.1 ± 3.6 years). Each participant performed two identical treadmill tests until exhaustion. The blood pressure was measured in the right arm before, at 4-min intervals during and just after the exercise test. Oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production and ventilation were measured continuously breath-by-breath. Blood lactic acid concentration was measured repeatedly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that blood pressure measurements during treadmill exercise are difficult to obtain. Systolic blood pressure increases with the exercise time. Diastolic blood pressure remains constant throughout the incrementing exercise test. Systolic blood pressure measurements are more repeatable than those of diastolic blood pressure measurements. We found that maximal oxygen consumption, obtained by an incrementing treadmill test, is highly repeatable and more repeatable than submaximal exercise parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood pressure monitoring during exercise testing may provide important clinical information that could aid in identifying patients at risk of developing chronic hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. arne@instebo.com
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Instebø
authors.forename: Vegard
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Helgheim
authors.forename: Gottfried
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greve
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide