Magnitude of Decrease in Intraocular Pressure Depends upon Intensity of Exercise

The present study was planned to investigate the relationship between the magnitude of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction after short-duration exercise and the intensity, duration and quantity of exercise in healthy subjects. Twenty-five healthy, sedentary male of the same age group, performed exercises at the levels of 80%, 60%, and 40%maximum heart rate (HRmax) for 15 minutes, 80%HRmax for 7.5 minutes, 60%HRmax for 10 minutes, and 40%HRmax for 30 minutes. IOP was measured with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. The IOP reduction at 5 minutes after 15 minutes of exercising at 80%HRmax, 60%HRmax, and 40%HRmax were 4.7 ± 0.9, 3.5 ± 0.7, and 0.9 ± 0.4 mmHg, respectively. At five minutes, after exercising 7.5 minutes at 80%HRmax, 10 minutes at 60%HRmax, and 30 minutes at 40%HRmax, IOP reduced by 4.5 ± 0.7, 3.3 ± 0.9, and 2.9 ± 1.1 mmHg, respectively. This study concludes that intensity of exercise seems responsible for the magnitude of the initial IOP decrease after short-term exercise.