Effect 0f Isotonic and Isometric Exercises on Intra Ocular Pressure

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) changes following dynamic (Isotonic or Isokinetic) and static (Isometric) exercise. AIM: To study the effect of dynamic and static exercises on IOP and blood pressure in the same subject following each type of exercise and to correlate the changes in BP to the changes in the IOP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 55 volunteers, visually normal as subjects, 30 boys and 25 girls in the age group of 18 to 20 years. Independent measurements of the IOP of each eye were obtained and BP was also measured in the resting state. Keelar Pulsair air impulse tonometer was used in all the subjects for IOP measurement. IOP was measured in the department of Ophthalmology, Teaching Hospital between 08AM to 10 AM on two consecutive mornings in a randomized manner. The subject undertook static exercise using the hand grip dynamometer and towards the end of the test, IOP and BP were measured. The next morning, resting IOP and the BP were measured and the subject undertook the dynamic exercise using the bicycle ergometer and the IOP's and the BP were measured at the end of the test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: were done using Paired 't' test. RESULTS: IOP decreased by 2.58±0.16 mmHg(R) eye & 2.64±0.09 mmHg (L) eye during exercise using Hand grip dynamometer and the systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased by 14.73±0.87 & 12.98±1.01 mmHg respectively. The changes were statistically significant (P<0.001). IOP decreased by 2.55±0.07 mmHg(R) eye & 2.49±0.1 mmHg(L)eye following exercise using bicycle ergometer and the systolic increased by 15.73±1.71 mmHg and the diastolic decreased by 10.83±2.46 mmHg. The changes were statistically significant (P<0.001). There was no correlation between the changes in BP to the changes in IOP. CONCLUSION: IOP decreased in both static and dynamic exercises. There was no correlation between the changes in BP to the changes in IOP.