Aerobic exercise reduces intra-ocular pressure and manages ocular health, study finds

PALESTINE: A study has concluded that in young adults, the intensity of aerobic exercise and its duration plays an essential role in Intraocular Pressure reduction.

The study's finding is published in the Journal of Glaucoma, an official journal of the World Glaucoma Association, under New Understanding of Glaucoma: Original Studies.

It is already known that exercises form an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and is a non-drug treatment for people who suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure (BP), obesity, etc.

Its physiological effects on different variables are still debated and require more research. This also includes exploring IOP changes during exercise in healthy and ill subjects.

Aerobics has a crucial role in IOP fluctuations, but the contributing factors remain unknown and require elucidation.

To reach the depth of the research, a study was conducted by Alfaqeeh et al. from Department of Physical Education at Palestine Technical University—Kadoorie, Ramallah, Palestine and a group of researchers to investigate the question,

What is the effect of intensities of aerobic exercise on IOP, and how is it correlated with physiological variables?

The conclusive points of the study are:

• The type of study design was repeated measures design.

• The study included a group of 20 volunteers with a mean age of 21.24±1.73 years.

• A tonometer was used to measure IOP. (iCare TA01i, Finland).

• The subjects completed four cycle ergometer sessions.

• The power was increased every 3 minutes by 60 W until exhaustion during the first session, relating to peak power.

• For the following tests, lasting 25 minutes each, The study subjects exercised at various intensities of peak power at 50%, 70%, and 85%.

• The measurements were taken every 5 minutes.

• The primary measure in the study was IOP.

• As recorded, IOP was significantly reduced in both eyes in the first 25 minutes of the high-intensity (85%) exercise test. The p-value was <0.05.

• There was significant interaction recorded between exercise durations and intensities.

• During high-intensity exercise, IOP, BP, blood lactate, and the rating of perceived exertion were related significantly with a P value of <0.01

The researchers concluded that our study data shows a significant IOP reduction at high-intensity aerobic exercise, thereby playing an essential role in managing ocular health.

According to researchers, their study is unique because the findings of the study have predicted how IOP changes during aerobic exercise.

The study concludes that higher aerobic exercise intensity produces a more significant reduction in IOP during exercise, usually driven by physiological factors affected by physical activity. These factors are multiple.

Low and moderate-intensity exercise does not lower IOP. Aerobic exercise is recommended and encouraged for glaucoma patients.

Further reading:

Alfaqeeh, Fatima PhD; Djemai, Haidar PhD; Hammad, Rami MSc; Hammad, Saleh MSc; Noirez, Philippe PhD; Dabayebeh, Ibrahim M. PhD. Effect of Aerobic Exercise at Different Intensities on Intraocular Pressure in Young Males. Journal of Glaucoma: November 2022 - Volume 31 - Issue 11 - p 868-873