Continuous blood pressure monitoring during high-intensity resistance training after myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention in a phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation setting

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the maximum rate-pressure product of cardiac rehabilitation participants after myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, or both during high-intensity resistance training (HI-RT) using continuous blood pressure monitoring. Thirty-four individuals exercised on the leg press machine while being monitored with a continuous blood pressure monitor. The maximum rate-pressure product was significantly lower than the established safety threshold of 36,000 (P < 0.001), with a mean of 17,369 and standard deviation of 6634. Only 2% of observations had a value ≥36,000. These results suggest that cardiac rehabilitation patients can perform HI-RT while keeping their rate-pressure products under the safety threshold of 36,000 after myocardial infarction/percutaneous coronary intervention. Performance of HI-RT exercises contributes to return to precardiac event occupations, and continuous blood pressure monitoring may be an effective tool in evaluating the safety of HI-RT in this patient population.

Keywords:

• Blood pressure monitoring
• cardiac rehabilitation
• high-intensity resistance training
• leg press
• rate-pressure product

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Walter I. Berman Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation exercise physiologists, registered nurses, and supervising physicians for allowing this project to occur safely and successfully. We also thank Briget da Graca for assistance with the literature review and drafting of this manuscript.