Influence of the body positions adopted for resistance training on intraocular pressure: a comparison between the supine and seated positions.

Objectives: A variety of factors are known to mediate on the intraocular pressure (IOP) response to resistance training. However, the influence of the body position adopted during resistance training on IOP remain unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the IOP response to the bench press exercise at three levels of intensity when performed in supine and seated positions.

Methods: Twenty-three physically active healthy young adults (10 men and 13 women) performed 6 sets of 10 repetitions against the 10-RM (repetition maximum) load during the bench press exercise against three levels of intensity (high intensity: 10-RM load; medium intensity: 50% of the 10-RM load; and control: no external load) and while adopting two different body positions (supine and seated). A rebound tonometer was employed to measure IOP in baseline conditions (after 60 s in the corresponding body position), after each of the 10 repetitions, and after 10 s of recovery.

Results: The body position adopted during the execution of the bench press exercise significantly affected the changes in IOP (p < 0.001, η = 0.83), with the seated position providing lower increases in IOP levels compared to the supine position. There was an association between IOP and exercise intensity, with greater IOP values in the more physically demanding conditions (p < 0.001, η = 0.80).

Conclusions: The use of seated positions, instead of supine positions, for the execution of resistance training should be prioritized for maintaining more stable IOP levels. This set of findings incorporates novel insights into the mediating factors on the IOP response to resistance training. In future studies, the inclusion of glaucoma patients would allow to assess the generalizability of these findings.