Systolic blood pressure during increasing workloads rises at about how many mm Hg per 1 MET?

• A. 5
• B. 10
• C. 15
• D. 20

Answer: (B)

As workload increases, systolic blood pressure rises in a roughly linear fashion, with about a 10 mmHg increase for each additional MET of work. METs measure energy demand; when you go up by one MET, the body requires more oxygen, and the heart responds by increasing cardiac output through higher heart rate and stroke volume. Active muscles also cause vasodilation that helps delivery of blood, but the overall pressure at the systolic level still climbs. This approximate 10 mmHg per MET relationship is a standard teaching point for interpreting graded exercise responses in healthy adults. Some individuals may vary, and the exact rise can be a bit higher or lower, but 10 mmHg per MET is the typical benchmark.