Effects of Manual Therapies and Resistance Exercise on Postexercise Hypotension in Women With Normal Blood Pressure

Abstract Monteiro, ER, Pescatello, LS, Winchester, JB, Corrêa Neto, VG, Brown, AF, Budde, H, Marchetti, PH, Silva, JG, Vianna, JM, and Novaes, JdS. Effects of manual therapies and resistance exercise on postexercise hypotension in women with normal blood pressure. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 948–954, 2022—The purpose of this investigation was to examine the acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) and different manual therapies (static stretching and manual massage [MM]) performed separately or combined on blood pressure (BP) responses during recovery in women with normal BP. Sixteen recreationally strength-trained women (age: 25.1 ± 2.9 years; height: 158.9 ± 4.1 cm; body mass: 59.5 ± 4.9 kg; body mass index: 23.5 ± 1.9 kg·m−2; baseline systolic BP median: 128 mm Hg; and baseline diastolic BP median: 78 mm Hg) were recruited. All subjects performed 6 experiments in a randomized order: (a) rest control (CON), (b) RE only (RE), (c) static-stretching exercise only (SS), (d) MM only, (e) RE immediately followed by SS (RE + SS), and (f) RE immediately followed by MM (RE + MM). RE consisted of 3 sets of bilateral bench press, back squat, front pull-down, and leg press exercises at 80% of 10RM. Static stretching and MM were applied unilaterally in 2 sets of 120 seconds to each of the quadriceps, hamstring, and calf regions. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP were measured before (rest) and every 10 minutes for 60 minutes following (Post 10–60) each intervention. There were significant intragroup differences for RE in Post-50 (p = 0.038; d = −2.24; ∆ = −4.0 mm Hg). Similarly, SBP intragroup differences were found for the SS protocol in Post-50 (p = 0.021; d = −2.67; ∆ = −5.0 mm Hg) and Post-60 (p = 0.008; d = −2.88; ∆ = −5.0 mm Hg). Still, SBP intragroup differences were found for the MM protocol in Post-50 (p = 0.011; d = −2.61; ∆ = −4.0 mm Hg) and Post-60 (p = 0.011; d = −2.74; ∆ = −4.0 mm Hg). Finally, a single SBP intragroup difference was found for the RE + SS protocol in Post-60 (p = 0.024; d = −3.12; ∆ = −5.0 mm Hg). Practitioners should be aware that SS and MM have the potential to influence BP responses in addition to RE or by themselves and therefore should be taken into consideration for persons who are hypertensive or hypotensive.