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A comparative study of exercise blood pressure using the Bruce treadmill test and the 3-3-3 exercise test

The purpose of this study was to compare the exercise blood pressure response of subjects with a history of exercise induced hypertension between the submaximal 3-3-3 exercise test and a maximal Bruce treadmill protocol. Seven male and four female subjects with a mean age of 49 ± 2 years were recruited for the study. All subjects were selected based on a previous elevation of exercise diastolic blood pressure >_ 10 mmHg during maximal exercise.The 3-3-3 test is a short, standardized treadmill test protocol that consists of one stage of treadmill walking at a 3% grade, at 3 miles per hour, for 3 minutes. Subjects completed the 3-3-3 test on one day and the Bruce protocol on a different day with 24-48 hours between tests. Test administration order was randomized and all tests were done at the same time of the morning with all blood pressures taken by the same technician with a mercury manometer.The increase in diastolic pressure from rest was significantly lower (p<0.004) during the 3-3-3 protocol compared to the peak of the Bruce protocol. There were no statistical differences between the change in diastolic pressure from rest to peak exercise when the 3-33 protocol was compared to the Bruce Stage I or when the Bruce Stage I was compared to the peak Bruce diastolic measurement. The mean change in diastolic pressure from rest to peak exercise in the3-3-3 protocol was 3.4 ± 2.6 mmHg as compared to 9.9 ± 2.0 mmHg for the Bruce Stage I, and 15.4 ± 2.4 mmHg from rest to peak exercise with the peak Bruce. There were no differences in resting or standing systolic or diastolic blood pressure values between protocols done on separate trial days. The change in systolic response from rest to peak exercise and the peak systolic pressures were significantly different (p<0.001) between the Bruce Stage I and peak Bruce and between the 3-3-3 and peak Bruce. There were no significant differences in the heart rate and rate pressure product between the third minute of the 3-3-3 protocol and the third minute of the Bruce Stage I (p<0.001).The 3-3-3 test was not able to elicit the same rise in diastolic blood pressure as the Bruce treadmill test in this population, although the Bruce Stage I was able to elicit a response that was not statistically different than the response of the peak Bruce protocol. This implies that submaximal treadmill testing may be a feasible method to screen for the presence of an exaggerated diastolic blood pressure response to exercise. / School of Physical Education

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/184483
Date January 1992
CreatorsNaftzger, Lisa A.
ContributorsBall State University. School of Physical Education., Kaminsky, Leonard A., 1955-
Source SetsBall State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Formatviii, 79 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.
SourceVirtual Press

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