title: The blood pressure-lowering effect of a single bout of resistance exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
abstract: Current exercise guidelines recommend aerobic types of exercises on most days of the week, supplemented with dynamic resistance exercise twice weekly. Whereas the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects of a single session of aerobic exercise have been well studied, less is known about the hypotensive effect of a single bout of resistance exercise.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the transient effect of resistance exercise on BP by means of meta-analytic techniques.
  
  
  
  A systematic electronic search in Medline, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Elton B Stephens Company (EBSCO), EMBASE and SPORTDiscus was completed in March 2015 identifying randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on resting or ambulatory BP in healthy adults. A subsequent meta-analysis was performed.
  
  
  
  The meta-analysis involved 30 studies, 81 interventions and 646 participants (normotensive (n = 505) or hypertensive (n = 141)). A single bout of resistance exercise elicited small-to-moderate reductions in office systolic BP at 60 minutes postexercise [-3.3 (-4.0 to -2.6)/-2.7 (-3.2 to -2.1) mmHg (CI 95%)], 90 minutes postexercise [-5.3 (-8.5 to -2.1)/-4.7 (-6.9 to -2.4) mmHg (CI 95%)] and in 24-hour ambulatory BP [-1.7 (-2.8 to -0.67)/-1.2 (-2.4 to -0.022) mmHg (CI 95%)] compared to a control session. The reduction in office BP was more pronounced in hypertensive compared to normotensive individuals (p < 0.01), when using larger muscle groups (p < 0.05) and when participants were recovering in the supine position (p < 0.01).
  
  
  
  A single bout of resistance exercise can have a BP-lowering effect that last for up to 24 hours. Supine recovery and the use of larger muscle groups resulted in greater BP reductions after resistance exercise.
authors: Research Group of Physiology and Physical Activity, University of North Paraná, Brazil.
authors: Juliano
authors: J
authors: Casonatto
authors: Research Group of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, KU Leuven, Belgium karla.gossler@kuleuven.be.
authors: Karla F
authors: KF
authors: Goessler
authors: Research Group of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, KU Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Véronique A
authors: VA
authors: Cornelissen
authors: Laboratory of Biomechanics and Clinical Epidemiology, Londrina State University, Brazil.
authors: Jefferson R
authors: JR
authors: Cardoso
authors: Department of Physical Education, Londrina State University, Brazil.
authors: Marcos D
authors: MD
authors: Polito
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
keywords: Cardiovascular physiology; hypertensive; normotensive; strength