Back to Journals » International Journal of General Medicine » Volume 4

Exercise lowers blood pressure in university professors during subsequent teaching and sleeping hours

Authors Fabiana Ribeiro, Silvia Grubert Campbell C, Gisele Mendes, Gisela Arsa, Moreira SR, da Silva FM, Prestes J, da Costa Sotero R, Simões HG

Published 19 October 2011 Volume 2011:4 Pages 711—716

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S24082

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Fabiana Ribeiro1, Carmen S Grubert Campbell1, Gisele Mendes1, Gisela Arsa1,3, Sérgio R Moreira2, Francisco M da Silva1, Jonato Prestes1, Rafael da Costa Sotero1, Herbert Gustavo Simões1
1Graduate Program on Physical Education and Health, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia; 2Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Petrolina, 3Graduate Program on Physical Education, Nine of July University, São Paulo SP, Brazil

Background: University professors are subjected to psychological stress that contributes to blood pressure (BP) reactivity and development of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise on BP in university professors during teaching and sleeping hours.
Methods: Twelve normotensive professors (42.2 ± 10.8 years, 74.2 ± 11.2 kg, 172.8 ± 10.4 cm, 20.1% ± 6.7% body fat) randomly underwent control (CONT) and exercise (EX30) sessions before initiating their daily activities. EX30 consisted of 30 minutes of cycling at 80%–85% of heart rate reserve. Ambulatory BP was monitored for 24 hours following both sessions.
Results: BP increased in comparison with pre-session resting values during teaching after CONT (P < 0.05) but not after EX30. Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP showed a more pronounced nocturnal dip following EX30 (approximately -14.7, -12.7, and -9.6 mmHg, respectively) when compared with CONT (approximately -6, -5 and -3 mmHg).
Conclusion: Exercise induced a BP reduction in university professors, with the main effects being observed during subsequent teaching and sleeping hours.

Keywords: post-exercise blood pressure, aerobic exercise, activities of daily living

Creative Commons License © 2011 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.