Benefits of Resistance Training

  • What is Resistance Training?

Resistance training, also known as strength training is a form of exercise that induces muscle contraction usually to build up strength and anaerobic ability. It is called resistance training as it usually involves lifting or pulling against resistance such as lifting weights, stretching power bands etc.  It involves many repetitions of a single event, such as a bicep curl, to build strength in that muscle (Nuffield Health, 2018).

  • Resistance Training and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

There are many benefits of resistance training to either reduce the risk of an individual acquiring coronary heart disease or to improve the health or the quality of life of a patient who has been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. In general, exercise greatly improves cardiac related health with it being believed that approximately 30% of coronary heart disease worldwide can be linked in some way to physical inactivity (less than 2hrs 30 mins of moderate exercise per week)(Frances M, 2011).

  • Lowering the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease through Resistance Training

Many risk factors of Coronary Heart disease can be reduced by resistance training. High blood pressure, for example, is a major risk factor for Coronary Heart disease. Resistance training has shown to reduce blood pressure as training the cardiac muscle causes adaptations allowing it to pump blood to muscles more effectively resulting in lower pressure, meaning the risk of a myocardial event inside coronary arteries is reduced. Blood pressure has been shown to be reduced by up to 4.08 mm HG (Systolic blood pressure compared with a control group) in certain studies as a result of a resistance training program (Lemes I, 2016). Another risk factor of Coronary Heart Disease is raised LDL and total blood cholesterol. A meta-analysis of 170,000 participants reported that a reduction in LDL cholesterol significantly decreased the risk of a myocardial infarction. It has also been shown that total blood cholesterol and lipid profile in the body significantly decrease when resistance training at 75%-85% of a participants maximum strength occurs 5 times per week (Mann S, 2014).

  • Physical Benefits of Resistance Training on Coronary Heart Disease

For patients who have already been diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease, it is well established that cardiac rehabilitation is essential in reducing the chances of both another myocardial infarction (heart attack) and death (Xanthos P, 2017). Resistance training increases strength of the muscles in training and it has been shown that resistance exercises up to 90% of 1 rep maximum can increase the strength of cardiac muscles in the heart significantly decreasing the risk of mortality through a cardiac event (Rantanen T, 2003). This is the case in almost all CHD patients where the greater the intensity of the resistance training results in greater improved strength in cardiac muscles including the over 65 age group, who are at the greatest risk of cardiac events (De Vos N, 2005). However, resistance training can be carried out at different intensities. For Coronary Heart disease patients, it is most effective when the patient can perform between 8 and 15 repetitions of the action before becoming fatigued. 2-3 sessions per week are also recommended (Williams M, 2007).

  • Benefits of Resistance Training on Quality of Life

Generally, exercise is beneficial to quality of life and this can include being beneficial to patients with Coronary Heart Disease. Resistance training can reduce depression in sufferers and improve people’s outlook on life by up to 47.4% according to a study of 27 participants (based on an SF-36 question filled out pre and post an 8-month resistance training program) (Wanderley F, 2013). 

  • Summary

Resistance training of varying intensities and durations has been shown to reduce the risk factors of coronary heart disease and be beneficial to patients who have been diagnosed with CHD. Although other forms of exercise may also be beneficial or even better than resistance training, this may be more accessible to certain populations than say for example, aerobic exercises, especially as 49.4% of coronary heart disease incidence in the UK occurs in the over 65’s population who may have reduced mobility or other health complications to take into account (British Heart Foundation, 2019).

 

  • References

British Heart Foundation. 2019. Coronary heart disease statistics. [PDF] Available at: <https://www.bhf.org.uk/visualhearthealth> [Accessed 02/12/2019]

De vos, N et al. 2005. Optimal load for increasing muscle power during explosive resistance training in older adults. Journal of Biological and Medical sciences. 60 (5) pp. 638-647.

Frances, M et al. 2011. Resistance exercise in cardiac rehabilitation. Clinical Rehabilitation; London , 25(12) pp. 1059-65.

Lemes, I et al. 2016. Resistance training reduces systolic blood pressure in metabolic syndrome. BMJ. <https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/23/1438> [Accessed 02/12/2019]

Mann, S et al. 2014. Differential effects of Aerobic exercise, resistance training and Combined Exercise Modalities on Cholesterol and Lipid Profile. Sports Med. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3906547/> [Accessed: 02/12/2019]

Nuffield Health. 2018. What is resistance training? [Online] Available at:  <https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/what-is-resistance-training> [Accessed 02.12.2019]

Rantanen, T et al. 2003. Muscle strength, disability and mortality. Journal of Med and Sports. 13(1) pp. 3-8.

Wanderley, F et al. 2013. Aerobic Versus Resistance Training Effects on Health-Related Quality of Life, Body Composition, and Function of Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology. <https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/doi/full/1 0.1177/0733464812468502> [Accessed 02/12/2019]

Williams, M et al. 2007. Resistance exercise in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease. American Heart Association council. 116 (1) pp. 572-584.

Xanthos, P et al. 2017. Implementing resistance training in the rehabilitation of coronary heart disease. International journal of cardiology. [e-journal] 230 (1) pp. 493-508. Available at <https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S016752731634565X> [Accessed 02/12/19]

 

(Page by James Parmar- 17800737)

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