Effect of Training on the Blood Pressure Response to Weight Lifting

Six young men weight trained 3 days.week-1 for 19 weeks, on each day doing 3 warm-up sets of 20 repetitions followed by 1 set each at 15-20, 10-15, and 7-10 RM (Day 1), 3 sets at 15-20 RM (Day 2), and 1 set at 15-20 and 2 sets at 10-15 RM (Day 3) of a seated bilateral leg press exercise. Training increased (P < 0.05) the maximal single leg press lift (1-RM, 26%) and knee extensor cross-sectional area (12%). Arterial (brachial artery catheter) and esophageal (probe) pressure responses were measured before and after training as subjects did sets of as many repetitions as possible up to 20 reps with 50, 70, 80, 85 and 87.5% 1-RM. After training, peak values of systolic pressure attained during a set (M pre/post, mm Hg) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased at 85% (325/360, 10.8%) 1-RM. Peak diastolic pressure increased significantly at 50 (136/151, 11.0%), 70 (185/200, 8.1%), and 80% (215/234, 8.8%). Peak esophageal pressure increased significantly at 80% (71/91, 28.2%) 1-RM. For a given absolute weight lifted, all responses were markedly reduced after training. It is concluded that weight training can (a) increase the peak arterial and esophageal pressure responses attained during maximal weight lifting exercise, and (b) reduce the arterial and esophageal pressure responses to lifting the same absolute weight.