Intraocular pressure fluctuation during resistance exercise

Ehsan Vaghefi; Catherine Shon; Stacey Reading; Taylor Sutherland; Victor Borges; Geraint Phillips; Rachael L Niederer; Helen Danesh-Meyer

doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2021-000723

Intraocular pressure fluctuation during resistance exercise

BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021 May 13;6(1):e000723. doi: 10.1136/bmjophth-2021-000723. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ehsan Vaghefi^{1

2}, Catherine Shon¹, Stacey Reading³, Taylor Sutherland³, Victor Borges³, Geraint Phillips¹, Rachael L Niederer^{4

5}, Helen Danesh-Meyer⁵

Affiliations

¹ Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
² Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
³ Sports Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁴ Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of weightlifting (leg press) on intraocular pressure (IOP).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Subjects: A total of 24 participants met the inclusion criteria and completed the study procedures. Participants had an average age of 22.7±2.7 years and included nine women. The mean baseline IOP was 13.9 mm Hg (SD=2.4) with an average body mass index of 24.5 (SD= 3.1).

Methods: The maximum load for a single lift was found for each participant. Participants then performed three leg press regimens: one repetition using 95% of maximal load (1RM), six repetitions using 75% of maximal load (6RM) and isometric push against a weight much heavier than maximal load (ISO).

Main outcome measure: IOP was measured pre-exercise, during and immediately following the exercise using an iCare TA01i rebound tonometer. Blood pressure and HR were being monitored continuously during the lift. Optical coherence tomography images were obtained pre and postexercise session.

Results: The average maximum weight lifted by our participants was 331.9 Kg (SD=97.3). Transient increased IOP was observed across the 1RM, 6RM and ISO exercises with an average increase in 26.4 mm Hg (23.7 mm Hg to 28.7 mm Hg) to reach an average max IOP of 40.7 mm Hg (27.8 mm Hg to 54.2 mm Hg), with an absolute maximum of 70 mm Hg in one participant.

Conclusions: There is a transient and dramatic fluctuation in IOP with resistance training. This coupled with regular exposure to resistance training is potentially a significant risk factor for glaucoma. It should be noted that this study has been carried out in a healthy young population, and, thus, the external validity of these results in glaucoma participants requires further investigation.

Keywords: glaucoma; intraocular pressure.