Background/Purpose: Resistance training is an alternative therapy to people living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA) to promote responses in peripheral cardiovascular adaptation. Hemodynamics alterations during exercise, particularly systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure may promote vasodilatation in muscles during exercise.
However,PLWHAmay displaymajor functional disability, been unable to adhere to high intensity resistance training (HIRT). Resistance training with blood flow restriction (RTBFR) at 20% to 50% of 1 repetition maximum (RM) may be an alternative, but its impact to the blood pressure in PLWHA is still unknown.The purpose of this study is to
compare resistance training with blood flow restriction and high intensity resistance training on SBP and DBP acute responses in PLWHA. Method: A total of 16 PLWHA (6 males and 10 females)
participated in six sessions for adaptation to resistance training. Each session consisted of 3 sets of 12–15 repetitions for arms and legs (2 exercises each) at 50% 1RM with 30 s rest between sets and 1 min between exercises. In the acute session, the same exercises were completed by groups with RTBFR (30% 1RM, n = 8) and HIRT (80% 1RM, n = 8), but until concentric failure as reached. SBP and
DBP were measured 5 min before the beginning of acute session and immediately after the last set of exercises. Intergroup comparison of hemodynamics parameters pre and post training (t-test and Mann-Whitney U test) and intragroup (ANOVA with repeated measures) were
conducted. Analysis/Results: Acute responses of SBP and DBP did
not differ statistically to the types of training RTBFR and HIRT. In the intragroup analysis, the SBP was significantly increased with RTBFR (F = 11,156; p < 0,001) and HIRT (F = 4,452; p = 0,049). The DBP was significantly increased with RTBFR (F = 14,326; p < 0,001), but was not with HIRT (F = 0,543; p = 0,658), suggesting greater effectiveness from the RTBFR in peripheral vasodilatation. Conclusions: RTBFR was more effective to peripheral cardiovascular variation than HIRT, even with lower training intensities. Thus, it may allow PLWHA with greater functional disability to participate in this type of therapy. RTBFR is a novel method with acute beneficial potential in cardiovascular adaptation for PLWHA.