Abstract
Isometric exercise (IE) interventions are an effective non-medical method of reducing arterial blood pressure (BP). Current methods of prescribing and controlling isometric exercise intensity often require the use of expensive equipment and specialist knowledge. However, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) may provide a more accessible means of monitoring exercise intensity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the validity of a specific Isometric Exercise Scale (IES) during a continuous incremental IE test. Twenty-nine male participants completed four incremental isometric wall squat tests. Each test consisted of five 2-min stages of progressively increasing workload. Workload was determined by knee joint angle from 135° to 95°. The tests were continuous with no rest periods between the stages. Throughout the exercise protocol, RPE (IES and Borg’s CR-10), heart rate and blood pressure were recorded. A strong positive linear relationship was found between the IES and the CR-10 (r = 0.967). Likewise, strong positive relationships between the IES and wall squat duration (r = 0.849), HR (r = 0.819) and BP (r = 0.841) were seen. Intra-class correlation coefficients and coefficients of variations for the IES ranged from r = 0.81 to 0.91 and 4.5–54%, respectively, with greater reliability seen at the higher workloads. The IES provides valid and reliable measurements of RPE, exercise intensity, and the changes in physiological measures of exertion during continuous incremental IE; as such, the IES can be used as an accessible measure of exercise intensity during IE interventions.
Highlights
Abbreviations ANOVA Analysis of variance BP Blood pressure diastolic BP (DBP) Diastolic blood pressure EMG Electromyography HR Heart rate IE Isometric exercise IES Isometric Exercise Scale IET Isometric exercise training mean arterial pressure (MAP) Mean arterial pressure Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) Rating of perceived exertion systolic BP (SBP) Systolic blood pressure
It has been suggested that the need for expensive equipment and time-consuming testing protocols, may present unnecessary barriers that could limit the effectiveness of these interventions[12]
The Intra-class correlation coefficients for the resting measures ranged from r = 0.52 to 0.91
Summary
Abbreviations ANOVA Analysis of variance BP Blood pressure DBP Diastolic blood pressure EMG Electromyography HR Heart rate IE Isometric exercise IES Isometric Exercise Scale IET Isometric exercise training MAP Mean arterial pressure RPE Rating of perceived exertion SBP Systolic blood pressure. A 4-week home based isometric wall squat intervention, with exercise intensity derived from a maximal isometric wall squat test[6,14], was shown to produce significant reductions in resting[6,15] and ambulatory arterial BP6. While these methods of training are more accessible than previous iterations, the ability to accurately monitor exercise intensity without laboratory testing and the use of additional equipment could help to further promote uptake of this type of IE intervention. It has been proposed that for an RPE scale to be considered a valid measure for use in the clinical and/or health-fitness setting, it must demonstrate both concurrent and construct validity, evidenced by strong positive correlations with physiological variables (e.g. HR) and a previously validated criterion scale r espectively[28]
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