High-Intensity Interval Aerobic Work for Strength Athletes with Arterial Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Hypertension is often diagnosed in strength athletes of heavyweight categories. A study was made to assess how high-intensity aerobic work affects the body composition, blood pressure (BP), oxidative capacity, and working muscle hypertrophy and strength in strength athletes with arterial hypertension. Examination and physical rehabilitation were performed in 55 hypertensive heavyweight strength athletes comparable in age, gender, and main clinical manifestations. The athletes were randomized into two groups, a test group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 20). The test-group athletes trained on a bicycle ergometer according to a high-intensity interval protocol 3 times a week for 120 days, and the control-group athletes trained according to their conventional power protocol 3 times a week for 120 days. The study methods included interrogation, physical examination, triplicate BP measurement, bioimpedance analysis with calculation of body composition indices, ergospirometry, measurement of the oxygenation level of muscle tissue, ultrasonographic measurements of the anatomical cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps femoris, evaluation of the maximal voluntary contraction strength of the quadriceps femoris, and methods of mathematical statistics. After 120 days of training, the athletes of the test group displayed a 72% decrease in oxygenation, an increase in power and working time at the level of maximum oxygen consumption, and an increase in quadriceps femoris CSA. BP decreased significantly in the group: systolic BP (SBP), by 4.7% and diastolic BP (DBP), by 5.6%. The physical rehabilitation protocol developed for strength athletes makes it possible to effectively and safely affect the body composition, hypertrophy, oxidative capacity of working muscles, and BP.