HEA-RT Project

Hypertension, often called the "silent killer," rightly deserves its name as it can go unnoticed and cause serious damage before being detected and treated. Hypertension means having very high blood pressure, even at rest. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels. If this pressure is too high, it can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart problems and death. Unfortunately, many people with hypertension struggle to lower their blood pressure even with medication. Exercise is recommended to help control blood pressure. Canadian guidelines emphasize the importance of cardiovascular exercise, but strength training can also lower blood pressure and strengthen muscles. The problem is that there are very few clear guidelines on how to perform strength training to effectively lower blood pressure.

To effectively address this issue, our research team has designed a project based on the latest studies on the effects of strength training to lower blood pressure. Several studies suggest that people should use moderate to heavy weights during their strength training exercises. However, it is now known that the amount of weight lifted is less important if the exercise is performed until it feels really difficult, which is referred to as a high perceived effort.

To identify the most effective strength training method for lowering blood pressure, we will compare the effectiveness of two different sessions: one using heavy weights with a high perceived effort, and the other using light weights with a high perceived effort. Each participant will complete the three experimental conditions, and we will measure their blood pressure before, during, and for 30 minutes after each condition. Subsequently, we will continuously monitor their blood pressure for the next 24 hours using an ambulatory blood pressure monitor, as recommended by the American Heart Association and Hypertension Canada.