Effect of gender on blood pressure and heart rate variability during increasing intensities of isometric hand grip exercise in untrained adults

Niyi-Odumosu, Faatihah; Meah, M. S.

Abstract

Gender has been shown to affect Blood Pressure (BP) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (Winsley et al., 2003). Measures of autonomic neural control of heart rate have indicated that women may have a higher parasympathetic and less sympathetic control of the heart than men (Carter et al., 2003) and may have a faster recovery rate to exercise than men. There is paucity of information on the effect of increasing intensities of Isometric Hand Grip (IHG) exercise on BP and HRV and any gender differences that may exist. We therefore sought to quantify changes that occur in BP and HRV during increasing intensities of IHG exercise in untrained males and females. Nineteen (10 males and 9 females) healthy subjects aged 25.7±0.9 and 27.0±0.6 (mean± SEM) with height and weight of 173.4±3.1 cm, 72.8±3.7kg and 160.9±1.6 cm, 59.3±3.4 kg respectively volunteered for this study after ethical approval from the School of Health,Sports, and Bioscience Ethics Committee of the University of East London. Control measurements of BP and HRV (average number of heart beat, standard deviation of N-N interval (SDNN), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratio) were taken in sitting position and the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was assessed using the hand grip transducer. Participants were subjected to 30% MVC for 2 minutes during which BP and HRV was taken. This was followed by rest period of 10 minutes. Contractions were then increased to 35%, 40%, 45% MVC respectively with 10 minutes rest periods. BP, HRV was taken during the exercise and 30 minutes into recovery. Values were recorded as means± SEM compared by ANOVA at 95% significance. From our findings, SBP (mmHg) increased more in females from control of 99.5±3.4 to 112.6±5.0 at 30% to 116.3±5.2 at 35% to 121.6±6.5 at 40% and to 130.9±8.7 at 45% MVC (p<0.001) than males from 118.7±3.3 to 132.7±2.8 to 131.6±3.0 to 130.0±2.4 to 134.8±4.2 (p<0.01); DBP increased in both males (p>0.001) and females (p>0.001); average number of heart beats (bpm) increased more in males from 82.7±3.0 to 87.2±3.3 to 86.9±2.8 to 87.7±3.0 to 91.0±2.1 (p<0.001) than females from 84.7±2.4 to 85.8±2.9 to 87.7±2.7 to 90.9±4.4 to 98.4±5.4 (p<0.01); SDNN decreased in both males and females ( p>0.05); LF increased in both males (p>0.05) and females (p>0.05); HF (%) increased in males from 12.4±2.3 to 16.2±2.9 to 14.0±3.0 to 13.8±2.3 to 10.8±1.9 (p>0.05) and decreased in females from 10.5±2.0 to 8.6±2.3 to 9.9±3.3 to 7.7±1.5 to 5.5±1.8 (p>0.05); LF/HF ratio increased in both males (p>0.05) and females (p<0.01). Thus, this data reveal gender differences that may occur in BP and HRV during increasing intensities of IHG exercise. The result of this study may suggest a higher parasympathetic influence following increased HF in untrained males and a higher sympathetic influence following increased SBP and LF/HF in untrained females during short interval, altered intensities IHG exercise.

Citation

Niyi-Odumosu, F., & Meah, M. S. (in press). Effect of gender on blood pressure and heart rate variability during increasing intensities of isometric hand grip exercise in untrained adults. Journal of Physiology, Proc Physiol Soc 31, PCA126(312),

• Journal Article Type: Conference Paper
• Conference Name: Physiology 2014 (London, UK)
• Conference Location: The QEII Conference Centre London, UK
• Acceptance Date: Feb 4, 2014
• Deposit Date: Feb 16, 2023
• Journal: The Journal of Physiology
• Print ISSN: 0022-3751
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-7793
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: Proc Physiol Soc 31, PCA126
• Issue: 312
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10461595
• Publisher URL: https://www.physoc.org/abstracts/effect-of-gender-on-blood-pressure-and-heart-rate-variability-during-increasing-intensities-of-isometric-hand-grip-exercise-in-untrained-adults/
• Related Public URLs: https://www.physoc.org/our-events/proceedings-abstracts/; ; https://www.physoc.org/magazine-articles/physiology-2014/