Contributions of isometric exercise to blood pressure:

a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Sedentarism and aging can lead to the emergence of chronic diseases, including systemic arterial hypertension. Even though studies indicate that Isometric Resistance Training (IRT) can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP,respectively) there is considerable methodological heterogeneity. This study proposes a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of IRT on blood pressure.

Method: To conduct this study, we performed manual searches in four databases using the keywords ‘isometric exercises’ and ‘blood pressure’. Four independent researchers evaluated the survey and defined which ones would be included. The quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDRo Scale. The inclusion criteria were studies with participants over 45 years of age, with exclusive isometric training intervention,published in the last five years. We used the Jamovi^® and Statistica 14^® softwares to analyse information regarding sample sizes, means, and standard deviation.

Results/Discussion: Out of the 166 articles surveyed, 157 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria, and three because they we did not obtain data after contacting the authors, leaving six studies. The results showed a significant reduction in SBP and DBP. However, there was high heterogeneity and risk of publication bias. Moreover, the studies developed focused only on the handgrip method, highlighting the need for further research that includes other muscle groups.