Traditional games resulted in post-exercise hypotension and a lower cardiovascular response to the cold pressor test in healthy children

Abstract

The present study aimed to verify if blood pressure (BP) reactivity could be reduced through a previous single session of active playing when compared to sedentary leisure. Sixteen pre-pubertal healthy children participated in this study. After familiarization with procedures and anthropometric evaluation, participants performed three sessions in randomized order: (1) 30 min of traditional Brazilian games (PLAY); (2) 30 min of video game playing (DDR); and (3) 30 min of watching TV (TV). Each session lasted 80 min, being 10 min of rest; 30 min of intervention activity; and 40 min of recovery. After recovery, the Cold Pressor Test (CPT) was used for the assessment of acute cardiovascular reactivity. BP was recorded at 30 s and 1 min during the CPT. Analysis of variance showed post-exercise hypotension (PEH) only after PLAY, and that systolic and diastolic BP were significantly increased in all conditions during CPT. However, the magnitude of the CPT-induced BP response was significantly less in PLAY compared to DDR and TV. The PEH observed during recovery and the reduced BP response to CPT following playing traditional games may be due its higher cardiovascular and metabolic demand as was indicated by the increased heart rate, oxygen consumption, and BP. It was concluded that BP reactivity to stress may be reduced through a previous single session of traditional games and that PEH was recorded only after this exercise form. This benefit indicates a potential role of playing strategies for cardiovascular health in childhood.

Mechanisms of blood pressure control following acute exercise in adolescents: Effects of exercise intensity on haemodynamics and baroreflex sensitivity

“…Although the fall in BP in the present investigation in healthy adolescents seems unremarkable compared to adult literature, which normally reports decreases of 8–9 mmHg depending on the pre‐exercise BP (MacDonald, ), the observed 5 mmHg fall in the present study is similar to previous investigations involving 9‐year‐old children (Rauber et al., ). The practical importance of these findings is currently unknown and future investigations are needed.…”

“…The contributions of heart rate (HR) and stoke volume (SV) to following exercise also appear to be dependent on exercise intensity, as SV has been shown to be decreased following supramaximal but not moderate‐intensity cycling exercise, which may be associated with an increased likelihood of syncope (Crisafulli et al., ). Limited data also show that post‐exercise hypotension is present in children and may last up to 40 min following exercise (Rauber et al., ). Furthermore, post‐exercise hypotension in youth is associated with a lowered BP response to stressful situations such as the cold stressor test and the ingestion of a high‐fat meal (Bond et al., ; Rauber et al., ), which may be clinically important as these stressful conditions have been positively associated with hypertension development in adults (Menkes et al., ; Uetani et al., ).…”

“…Limited data also show that post‐exercise hypotension is present in children and may last up to 40 min following exercise (Rauber et al., ). Furthermore, post‐exercise hypotension in youth is associated with a lowered BP response to stressful situations such as the cold stressor test and the ingestion of a high‐fat meal (Bond et al., ; Rauber et al., ), which may be clinically important as these stressful conditions have been positively associated with hypertension development in adults (Menkes et al., ; Uetani et al., ). Finally, although exercise intensity may alter the BP response following exercise in youth (Bond et al., ), the specific contribution of haemodynamic factors (e.g.…”

Recording daily routines with guidance on healthy lifestyle to improve health parameters in children and their families

“…It is important to underline that the benefits of physical activity for children are not only long-term, but also acute 31 . Indeed, this previous study verified lower blood pressure and lower cardiovascular reactivity to stress after 30 minutes of traditional outside play (tag, dodgeball, and flag football) 31 . These results show the potential role of playing strategies in or outside school for cardiovascular health in childhood.…”

The influence of physiotherapy on blood pressure in children and adolescents with respiratory tract diseases

“…according to our knowledge, the observation of Peh among children is limited to two research studies conducted on small groups (16 and 10 individuals) [14,15]. In our study, 240 children were examined, and their BP was taken five times before and after exercise.…”