Left ventricular response in healthy young men during heavy-intensity weight-lifting exercise

We examined cardiac volumes (using echocardiography), intra-arterial blood pressure (BP), and intrathoracic pressure (ITP) in healthy males performing leg press exercise to failure at 95% of their maximum dynamic strength. Compared with preexercise, during the lifting phase of exercise, end-diastolic volume (EDV; 147 +/- 8 to 103 +/- 7 ml) and end-systolic volume (ESV; 54 +/- 5 to 27 +/- 4 ml) decreased (P < 0.05); heart rate (82 +/- 6 to 143 +/- 5 beats/min), systolic BP (160 +/- 6 to 270 +/- 21 Torr), diastolic BP (91 +/- 2 to 183 +/- 18 Torr), ITP (0.8 +/- 0.8 to 57.8 +/- 24 Torr), and peak systolic BP/ESV (SBP/ESV; 3.0 +/- 0.3 to 11.0 +/- 1.5 Torr/ml) increased (P < 0.05); and stroke volume decreased (94 +/- 3 to 77 +/- 4 ml; P > 0.05). Full knee extension was associated with most values returning to preexercise levels except for ESV (38 +/- 7 ml), heart rate (130 +/- 9 beats/min), and ITP (-12.5 +/- 2.1 Torr). During the lowering phase, significant decreases in EDV to 105 +/- 14 ml and ESV to 27 +/- 7 ml were observed with increases in systolic BP to 207 +/- 23 Torr, diastolic BP to 116 +/- 8 Torr, and SBP/ESV to 10.0 +/- 2.5 Torr/ml. Stroke volume decreased to 78 +/- 9 ml (P > 0.05). Thus rapid changes in cardiac volumes, contractility, and pressure occur during weight lifting that are related to different phases of the lift.