Cardiovascular responses to weight-lifting exercise were studied on eight experienced weight lifters, with an aim at examining the difference in the responses between two weight-lifting forms of “Snatch”and“Jerk”and that between the subjects. The exercise was performed successively at five exercise intensities interposing 3.5-min rest in sitting position : 10 repetitive lifts for 30 sec with 20, 40 and 60% of the maximum single lift, 3 repetitive lifts within 25 sec with 80% and finally the maximum single lift (100%·1 RM) . Each of“Snatch”and“Jerk”experiments was done on separate days. Blood pressures (BP) in sitting position were measured in sphygmomanometry at rest and 30 sec before and 12 sec after exercise. Heart rate (HR) was measured in a 30 sec pooling method throughout the experimental period. The following results and suggestions were obtained.
(1) Resting HR and BP that were measured before the exercise were not different between“Snatch”and“Jerk” experiments.
(2) At each exercise intensity, HR during exercise (exercise HR) was slightly greater in“Snatch”than in “Jerk”, the difference being not significant. Exercise HR at 100%·1 RM was 114±9 (SD) beats/min in “Snatch”and 111±7 beats/min in“Jerk”.
(3) Anticipative tachypnea occurring prior to exercise became stronger as the weight to be lifted became heavier.
(4) At each exercise intensity, the inter-subject difference in exercise HR was due to the difference in the absolute weight lifted for subjects weighing lighter, and for those weighing heavier it was due to the differences in the resting HR as well as in the absolute weight lifted.
(5) Thus, exercise HR in weight lifting that requires nearly maximal dynamic contraction for 10-30 sec seems to be determined not only by the exercise intensity but also by resting HR, anticipative tachypnea and experience.
(6) At lower exercise intensities, post-exercise BP was significantly higher in“Snatch”than in“Jerk”, while the difference between the two weight-lifting forms disappeared at higher intensities. At 100%·1 RM, post-exercise BP was around 145 mmHg for the systolic pressure and 77 mmHg for the diastolic pressure in both lift forms.
(7) At each exercise intensity, the inter-subject difference in post-exercise BP was accounted for by that in the resting BP but not in the absolute weight lifted. Accordingly, the rise in BP with exercise, calculated as post-exercise BP minus resting BP, was invariable with the subjects. At 100%·1 RM, the rise in BP was 25 mmHg for the systolic pressure and 10 mmHg for the diastolic pressure.
(8) Difference in cardiovascular responses between the two weight-lifting forms and interpretation of post-exercise values of BP and HR are discussed.