Influence of rest period duration between successive muscular strength sets on acute modifications of blood pressure and heart rate in the healthy subject

Objective. To measure the impact of different recovery periods on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) during classical resistance training (RT) modalities Background. Resistance training was introduced into rehabilitation programs to improve the efficiency of traditional training. The impact of different RT modalities on muscular performance is well known but the recovery periods between successive RT sets recommended in the literature varied between 30 s and 5 min. Method. Twenty one healthy subjects were tested while performing a classical RT paradigm: 3 sets of 10 repetitions at 75% of 1-RM, with recovery periods of 30, 60, 90 and 120 s. Results. A recovery period of 30 or 60 s did not allow a return of SBP and HR to resting values. A progressive drift of the values was observed in the successive rests as well as in the successive efforts. A recovery period longer than 60 s (90 and 120 s) allowed a return of SBP and HR to resting values. Conclusions. A recovery period of 90 s or more between successive classical RT sets is recommended in order to avoid excessive SBP and HR elevation.