Isometric exercise training
Static contraction, such as handgrip. In network comparisons one of the stronger training levers on blood pressure.
Order of magnitude
Four two-minute bouts, three to five times a week.
Isometric training produced the largest blood-pressure reduction of any exercise mode in a 270-trial network meta-analysis and ranked first with a SUCRA of 98.3 %.
Effects in detail
Each row is a directed edge from our database, with range, latency, evidence grade and the condition under which it applies at all.
| Marker | Effect | Latency | Mode of action | Outcome | Evidence | Condition | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diastolic blood pressure | helps. Lowers -4.00 mmHg one bound only: no interval is printed In a network meta-analysis of 270 randomised trials, isometric exercise training lowered resting blood pressure by 8.24/4.00 mmHg, the largest effect of any exercise mode and roughly twice that of aerobic training. Point estimates without confidence intervals in the abstract, so one bound each. | not specified | chronic | unclear | Evidence grade A | applies regardless of the starting value | |
| Systolic blood pressure | helps. Lowers -8.24 mmHg one bound only: no interval is printed In a network meta-analysis of 270 randomised trials, isometric exercise training lowered resting blood pressure by 8.24/4.00 mmHg, the largest effect of any exercise mode and roughly twice that of aerobic training. Point estimates without confidence intervals in the abstract, so one bound each. | not specified | chronic | unclear | Evidence grade A | applies regardless of the starting value |
What this measure costs
Counteracting effects of the same measure.
No counteracting effect is on file for this measure. That does not mean there is none, only that we found no defensible edge.
Sources
Full details of every study the rows above rely on.
Exercise training and resting blood pressure: a large-scale pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Edwards et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2023 · Meta-analysis