INTRODUCTION: Weight training is currently recommended to different groups of individuals. Its main objective is increase in muscular strength, but other results may occur, such as blood pressure (BP) at rest reduction. However, the relationship among weight training prescription, increase in strength and BP behavior at rest in humans is little approached. AIM: To analyze BP after an acute session of weight exercises and after a weight training period in normotensive and hypertensive individuals, in studies published in the international literature. METHODS: References were selected in three distinct ways: 1) in order to compose the weight training suggestions, a meta-analytical and an official positioning of a recognized research entity was used; 2) for the weight exercise and BP at rest data at the post-exercise moments, studies from the Medline basis published in English which followed BP for at least 60 min were researched; 3) references on long term-weight training and BP at rest were retrieved from the last metaanalytical study on the topic, added to the experiments published until July, 2008. RESULTS: After analyzing the references, prescription of weight training in most of the studies followed current recommendations. Nevertheless, only in few studies BP at rest was reduced, both in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Despite certain variation in prescription, weight training seems to be efficient in increasing muscular strength. However, further research is still needed in order to infer on its correlation with BP at rest in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.
cardiovascular response; hypertension; strength training
