Resistance training configurations and resting blood pressure in older women: a 16-week randomized controlled trial
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v83.119283Keywords:
Aging, blood pressure, older women, resistance training, strength trainingAbstract
Introduction: Resistance training supports healthy aging and may contribute to blood pressure control, but comparative evidence across different configurations in older women remains limited.
Objective: This study compared resistance training with a non-training control condition and examined blood pressure responses to four training configurations.
Methodology: Of 145 older women initially randomized by simple random draw, 95 completed the 16-week study: Control (n = 19), traditional resistance training (n = 17), power training (n = 18), strength-endurance training (n = 20), and absolute-strength training (n = 21). Training was performed twice weekly. Resting blood pressure was assessed at baseline and weeks 4, 8, and 16.
Results: Pooled resistance training versus Control showed a significant group-by-time interaction for systolic blood pressure (p = .007). Pooled training had lower values at weeks 4, 8, and 16 than at baseline (all p < .001), whereas Control did not change. From week 8 to week 16, no significant group effect or interaction was detected when the four configurations and Control were analyzed separately. Diastolic blood pressure showed an overall time effect without significant group or interaction effects.
Discussion: The most consistent response was a sustained systolic reduction when resistance training was considered collectively; the protocol-specific analysis did not identify a superior configuration.
Conclusions: Resistance training was associated with lower resting systolic blood pressure in older women. Because no statistically significant superiority was detected among configurations, protocol selection may also consider functional goals, tolerance, and adherence within the population studied.
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