Fitness Level Modulates Intraocular Pressure Responses to Strength Exercises

ABSTRACT

Purpose/Aim: The execution of strength exercises has demonstrated to increase the intraocular pressure (IOP) levels, and it may have a negative impact on the ocular health. We aimed to explore the influence of fitness level on the acute IOP response to strength exercises performed under different loading conditions, as well as to test whether the IOP responses differ between the bench press and jump squat when performed against the same relative loads.

Materials and Methods: Forty military personnel males were divided in two subgroups (20 high-fit and 20 low-fit) based on their relative to body mass one-repetition maximum (1-RM). Participants performed an incremental loading test in the bench press and jump squat exercises, and IOP was assessed before and after each repetition by rebound tonometry.

Results: IOP increased immediately after executing both exercises (p < 0.01 in both cases), being the magnitude of the IOP increment positively and linearly associated with the increment of the load in both groups (i.e., high-fit and low-fit) and in both exercises (R² range: 0.81–1.00). Higher fitness level attenuated the IOP rise produced by both exercises (p < 0.01 in both cases). The bench press induced higher IOP increments than the jump squat for both groups at relative loads of ~50%1-RM and ~60%1-RM (p < 0.01 in all cases).

Conclusions: These data indicate that IOP increases as a consequence of performing strength exercises, being the increment accentuated with the increase of the load and in the bench press compared to the jump squat exercise. Of special importance would be that the IOP responses were significantly reduced in high-fit individuals. These findings should be addressed in glaucoma patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Ocular health
• strength exercise
• glaucoma management
• physical fitness
• rebound tonometry

Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank all of the volunteers who participated in the present study.

Declaration of Interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant DEP2013-48211-R and the CEMIX (Centro Mixto UGR-MADOC, Army of Spain) under grant PIN 11. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.