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Strength training isn’t just for biceps.
It can also support the muscles that help us breathe to lower blood pressure.
A daily dose of high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) for six weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of nine millimeters of mercury, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
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“In our research, we found that high resistance inspiratory muscle strength training, consisting of 30 resistance inhalations per day using a handheld device, reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 9 mmHg,” said lead author Dr. Daniel Harrison Craighead.
He is an Assistant Professor of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“That’s important,” Craighead said, “because lowering blood pressure by that level would reduce a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems related to high blood pressure.”
Because muscles weaken over time, strength training is often used to keep the body’s muscles healthy.
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However, Craighead wanted to apply the same concept to the muscles that help us breathe in, such as the B. the diaphragm.
Along with other researchers, he recruited healthy volunteers, ages 18 to 82, to use a device called PowerBreathe, which provides resistance training for the muscles that help us breathe in. (There are several such devices on the market.)
Study participants were asked to use the device for five minutes a day for six weeks.
According to the PowerBreathe website, it’s often referred to as the “dumbbell for your diaphragm” because it creates resistance when you breathe.
“Just as you would use a heavier dumbbell as your bicep strength improves, you can increase the resistance on the respirator as your breathing strength improves,” the website added.
The new study found that performing 30 breaths a day for six weeks reduced systolic blood pressure by about 9 millimeters of mercury, which is similar to the reduction achieved by traditional aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling.
The lead author of a new study said the breath log “only takes 5-10 minutes a day, so we’re hoping it will be easy for people to stick to.”
“Also, the protocol only takes 5-10 minutes a day, so we’re hoping it’ll be easy for people to stick with,” Craighead told Fox News Digital.
“It’s easy to do while you’re watching TV or waiting for your coffee to be ready.”
Reducing systolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg reduces the risk of stroke by the age of 65 by about 35% and the risk of heart disease by about 25%, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.
What is high blood pressure?
The American Heart Association defines normal blood pressure as less than 120/80 mm Hg.
The top number is systolic blood pressure, the pressure in the artery when the heart contracts and sends blood around the body.
The bottom number is diastolic blood pressure, or the pressure of the artery when the heart is at rest and filling with blood, according to Johns Hopkins medicine.
A patient is at risk for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, when systolic blood pressure readings are consistently 120-129, which is known as elevated blood pressure.
People diagnosed with stage 1 hypertension have systolic blood pressure readings that consistently range between 130 and 139 mm Hg, or diastolic readings that range between 80 and 89 mm Hg.
“High blood pressure is a common problem and contributes to stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and a host of other cardiovascular complications.”
When people are diagnosed at this stage, lifestyle changes are often recommended first before starting any medication.
“High blood pressure is a common problem and contributes to stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and a host of other cardiovascular complications,” said Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Fox News Digital.
“Lifestyle measures like restricting salt intake and losing weight can help lower blood pressure, although many people with hypertension eventually need medication,” Bhatt added.
He is also executive director for interventional cardiovascular programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart & Vascular Center in Boston.
Stage 2 hypertension is when systolic blood pressure readings are consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher, according to the American Heart Association.
“Possibly breathing training like it was done here [new] study, could help strengthen the muscles involved in breathing, in addition to lowering blood pressure,” Bhatt said.
“It appears to be a safe approach,” he added, “although further studies are needed to determine how effective it can be and who the ideal candidates might be.”
People taking medication for high blood pressure should not stop taking those medications without first consulting their doctor, Bhatt said.
“We need to do much longer studies to confirm that we actually see lower rates of blood pressure-related diseases in people who do this exercise,” said the lead author of a new study.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a magical solution on its own,” Craighead of the University of Colorado Boulder told Fox News Digital about IMST, the respiratory muscle strength training process.
“Lowering systolic blood pressure will not be enough to fully control blood pressure in people with more than mild hypertension,” he said.
“However, so far we’ve seen that it’s effective in people who are already taking antihypertensive medication – so it could be a good ‘add-on’ therapy to medication.”
He also noted that it has additional benefits over traditional training “because breathing training is so different from running or walking — but that question needs to be confirmed with more research.”
How does breathing training work?
Endothelial cells line the lining of blood vessels, which in turn help produce a key compound called nitric oxide, which protects the heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Nitric Oxide dilates blood vessels, which promotes healthy blood flow.
The study found that six weeks of resistance training of the respiratory muscles increased endothelial function by about 45%.
limitations of the study
Craighead noted that his current study has some limitations, including the fact that participants were only tested for six weeks.
“We need to do much longer studies to confirm that we’re actually seeing lower rates of blood pressure-related disorders in people who do this workout,” he told Fox News Digital.
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He also noted that most of the participants in his study were non-Hispanic white adults, so it’s difficult to generalize the research to a diverse demographic.
“We need to learn how effective this breathing exercise is when people exercise alone, without the supervision of researchers.”
All of the research was done in a controlled laboratory setting, Craighead said, so “we need to learn how effective this breathing training is when people train on their own, without the supervision of the researchers.”
Future research required
However, he hopes that the study results will stimulate further research into high-impedance inspiratory muscle strength training.
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“If the health benefits are confirmed in larger studies with longer treatment durations, I envision this becoming another important tool in the blood pressure management toolbox,” added Craighead.
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“I think it’s really promising because it’s so time-efficient — and so far it’s proven safe in the groups we’ve studied.”