Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of mat Pilates (MP) versus MP plus aerobic exercise (AE) compared with the effects of no intervention on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in women with hypertension. Methods This 3-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial assessed 60 women who had hypertension and were 30 to 59 years old. The intervention lasted 16 weeks, and the participants were allocated into 3 groups: mat Pilates only (MP group), mat Pilates with alternating bouts of AE on a treadmill (MP + AE group), and control group (CG), with no exercises. Primary outcomes were the effects of the interventions on ambulatory BP assessed in the 24-hour, awake, and asleep periods of analysis. Results A 2-way analysis of variance did not reveal statistically significant differences in between-group comparisons in the 24-hour period of analysis for systolic BP (CG versus MP = 3.3 [95% CI = −7.1 to 13.8]; MP versus MP + AE = 0.7 [95% CI = −4 to 5.4]; CG versus MP + AE = 4.0 [95% CI = −5.2 to 13.4]), diastolic BP (CG versus MP = 2.2 [95% CI = −5.6 to 10.0]; MP versus MP + AE = 1.1 [95% CI = −4.3 to 6.5]; CG versus MP + AE = 3.3 [95% CI = −3.8 to 10.4]), and heart rate (CG versus MP = 3.4 [95% CI = −2 to 8.8]; MP versus MP + AE = 2.0 [95% CI = −3.4 to 7.5]; CG versus MP + AE = 5.4 [95% CI = −0.8 to 11.8]). The awake and asleep periods of analyses also showed similar behavior and did not reveal statistically significant between-group differences. Furthermore, in the responsiveness analysis based on the minimal clinically important difference, no differences were observed between groups. Conclusion The magnitudes of the decrease in systolic BP during the 24-hour period of analysis were − 3 and − 5.48 mm Hg for the MP and MP + AE groups, without differences for responsiveness between groups. The results suggest that MP supplemented with AE or not supplemented with AE may be an alternative adjuvant treatment for women who have hypertension and are using antihypertension medication. Impact. Sixteen weeks of MP training reduced ambulatory BP in women who had hypertension. The MP + AE group displayed a BP reduction similar to that of the MP group. A reduction in ambulatory BP can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Quadriceps neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) may stimulate patellar tendon remodeling and recovery, but it is unclear if hip and knee joint angles during NMES affect patellar tendon loading. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hip and knee joint angles on patellar tendon properties during quadriceps NMES. Twenty healthy men performed quadriceps NMES in supine with 60º of knee flexion (SUP60), seated with 60º of knee flexion (SIT60), supine with 20º of knee flexion (SUP20), and seated with 20º of knee flexion (SIT20). Patellar tendon mechanical and material properties were determined during maximum quadriceps evoked contraction. Patellar tendon force, stress, and stiffness were greater for SUP60 and SIT60 compared to SUP20 and SIT20. Young's modulus was greater for SUP60 and SIT60 compared to SIT20. Tendon elongation, strain, resting length, and average CSA were not different between conditions. In conclusion, during quadriceps NMES, the patellar tendon is loaded more when the knee is flexed to 60º compared to 20º. These findings suggest that clinicians should favor 60º of knee flexion over 20º during NMES when the goal is to load the patellar tendon. Further research is needed to determine optimal positioning for maximal patellar tendon loading. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov under protocol NCT03822221 on January 30, 2019.
Background: Although mat Pilates (MP) has become popular, the effects of MP in hypertensive women (HW) are not entirely clear. Here, we investigated the effects of 16 weeks of MP training contrasted with MP supplemented with aerobic exercise (MP+AE) and compared with a non-intervention group on autonomic modulation, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, flexibility, performance of functional tasks, QOL, anthropometric variables, clinical BP, and heart rate. Methods: This is a three-arm, secondary analysis of an RCT. Sixty HW, aged 30 to 59 years, were allocated into: MP only (MP), MP+AE on a treadmill (MP+AE), and Control Group, without exercises. Assessments were performed before and after 16 weeks of training. Results: The ANOVA shows differences in between-group comparisons in the SDNN, rMSSD, and SD1 in the heart rate variability analysis, with increases in rMSSD, SDNN, and SD1 only in the MP, and this result was not found in the MP+AE group (p < 0.05). Differences were observed in the between-group comparisons in time in the cardiorespiratory exercise test (CPX), flexibility, and the waist-to-hip ratio, with changes in the MP+AE, differences in QOL, and increments in the MP and MP+AE (p < 0.05). Conclusions: MP increased the indices that reflect vagal and global cardiac autonomic modulation. MP+AE improved the CPX performance, flexibility, QOL, and anthropometric variables. These results suggest that MP supplemented or not with AE has promising effects in HW.
Determining how the quadriceps femoris musculotendinous unit functions, according to hip and knee joint angles, may help with clinical decisions when prescribing knee extension exercises. We aimed to determine the effect of hip and knee joint angles on structure and neuromuscular functioning of all constituents of the quadriceps femoris and patellar tendon properties. Twenty young males were evaluated in four positions: seated and supine in both 20° and 60° of knee flexion (SIT20, SIT60, SUP20, and SUP60). Peak knee extension torque was determined during maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Ultrasound imaging was used at rest and during MVIC to characterize quadriceps femoris muscle and tendon aponeurosis complex stiffness. We found that peak torque and neuromuscular efficiency were higher for SUP60 and SIT60 compared to SUP20 and SIT20 position. We found higher fascicle length and lower pennation angle in positions with the knee flexed at 60°. The tendon aponeurosis complex stiffness, tendon force, stiffness, stress, and Young’s modulus seemed greater in more elongated positions (60°) than in shortened positions (20°). In conclusion, clinicians should consider positioning at 60° of knee flexion rather than 20°, regardless if seated or supine, during rehabilitation to load the musculotendinous unit enough to stimulate a cellular response.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.