Blood pressure response to slow walking combined with KAATSU in the elderly

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the blood pressure and heart rate response to walking with and without blood flow restriction (KAATSU-walk) in the elderly. Seven active subjects (2 men, 5 women) aged between 64 to 78 years (mean age, 68.9 ± 6.3 years) performed walking test without (Control) and with KAATSU (cuff pressure 160 mmHg and 200 mmHg) on separate days. The exercise consisted of level walking at 67 m/min (4 km/hr) for 20 min. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was recorded using an automatic blood pressure monitor, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was calculated [MAP = DBP + (SBP - DBP)/3]. Heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were also recorded during the test. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in blood pressure responses between the Control and KAATSU-160mmHg exercise, however significantly higher blood pressures were observed for the KAATSU-200mmHg exercise (112-127mmHg for MAP) compared to the Control. However, these values are still lower than those of previous reported during moderate to heavy resistance exercise. The correlations between HR and MAP during each exercise condition were all statistically significant (range from r=0.83 to r=0.94; p<0.05). However, the intercept of the curve was highest in KAATSU-200mmHg exercise (i.e. MAP response to the same HR was higher), suggesting the increased total peripheral resistance with high occlusive pressure. In conclusion, our results indicate that during slow walk exercise with KAATSU, level of occlusive pressure can significantly impact upon the HR and MAP responses in the elderly, These findings are consistent with the idea that the occlusive pressure by itself can significantly modulate the cardiovascular response during low-intensity KAATSU-walk.