Blood Pressure During Exercise

Blood pressure is never steady, it constantly rises and falls in accordance with the pumping action of the heart and signals from the brain. The heart contracts and pushes the blood into the arteries resulting in rise in blood pressure. Blood pressure that is recorded as the highest is called systolic blood pressure. It is the pressure against the artery walls when the heart contracts. The heart then relaxes so that chambers in the heart fill with blood. This action leads to a fall in blood pressure. Blood pressure that is recorded as the lowest is called diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure against the artery walls between two consecutive heart beats. A sudden and steep rise in blood pressure during exercise can be an early sign of serious artery disease for non-exercisers (those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not exercise regularly). Because of the intensive training that an athlete undergoes, his/her heart becomes very strong and it can push blood with the greatest force. So, having the highest rises in blood pressure during aerobic exercise is quite normal for athletes.

Normal Blood Pressure

Blood pressure around 120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg is considered as normal blood pressure, where 120 is the systolic blood pressure and 80 is the diastolic blood pressure. Healthy or ideal blood pressure range varies from person to person, depending upon the age of the person and his/her profession or physical activities. The 'normal blood pressure range' is 90/60 mm Hg to 130/80 mm Hg. When you start exercising, the systolic pressure should increase gradually. The working muscles require more oxygen during exercise. Increased demand for oxygen exerts pressure on the cardiovascular system as it tries to deliver more and more oxygen (blood). The diastolic pressure should not increase during exercise, it should stay around 80, or may decrease slightly. Dilation of blood vessels in the working muscles helps maintain the normal blood pressure levels. When blood vessels lose their flexibility, blood pressure increases abnormally.

High Systolic Blood Pressure

Regular exercise helps lower 'high blood pressure'. You may be able to see the change after a few months. During workouts, it is commonly noticed that the blood pressure increases to 195/75, from 120/80 (that is marked during the resting period). More rise in blood pressure is noticed in an overweight person than in a normal weight person. Blood pressure range of 160 to 220/75 is considered as normal range of increase. Expert weightlifters may show high blood pressure values like 320/250 mm Hg or even 480/350 mm Hg during a double-leg press. A well-trained athlete may have blood pressure as high as 200/70 when running on a treadmill.

During intensive exercises like weightlifting, muscle constriction leads to reduced supply of oxygen. High blood pressure is noticed as the muscles and organs require extra oxygen-rich blood during exercise. Such high blood pressure associated with exertion can even cause heart attack or stroke. This situation of high blood pressure during exercise can be worsened by intake of caffeine, stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamines and consumption of some medications. One should immediately stop exercising if he/she feels like fainting. Abnormally high blood pressure levels in response to exercise occur usually due to poor ability of the blood vessels to expand. When the heart pushes the blood into arteries, they should expand well and make space for the incoming blood. If they do not expand enough, blood pressure increases significantly. So, in a non-exerciser, if the systolic blood pressure crosses the figure 190 after exercise, then it suggests that the person is likely to suffer from high blood pressure in the future. Aging, menopause, high cholesterol levels, smoking and diabetes are some of the other common causes of high blood pressure.

High Diastolic Blood Pressure

Exercise-induced elevated diastolic blood pressure can create complications for the person. Usually, the diastolic rate varies minimally during workouts. If an increases of 20 mm Hg above resting value is noticed in the diastolic pressure or if the diastolic pressure reaches 100 mm Hg, you should immediately stop exercising. Diastolic blood pressure may rise significantly during exercise; if the person has hypercholesterolemia or coronary artery disease. A diastolic blood pressure range of 85 - 89 is a cause for concern, while diastolic blood pressure over 90 is considered as 'high and risky'. A diastolic reading below 80 is ideal while reading above 90 indicates hypertension. Diastolic reading between 90 and 99 is considered stage 1 hypertension, 100 or over is stage 2 and anything over 109 is considered stage 3 hypertension. Due to hypertension, heart requires more energy to pump the blood to the body. The condition can even lead to congestive heart failure.

Exercise makes you sweat. Releasing water and salt as you sweat, reduces blood pressure. Thus, exercise only can help correct this problem. Both the systolic and the diastolic blood pressures should decrease over time with consistent exercise. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, November 2009 issue, just 20 minutes of running on a treadmill or lifting weights helps lower blood pressure levels. Twenty minutes of regular exercise are as good as seven hours of normal physical activity. This explains the significance of regular exercise in maintaining health.

Only 'regular workouts' can help you avoid abnormal fluctuations in blood pressure levels during exercise. Exercise helps you gain muscle and gaining muscle needs burning of fat. More muscle implies faster metabolism which leads to more calorie-burning. This way, you can burn more calories throughout the day, even while you're at rest.

I hope the article succeeds in conveying the message that it is important to monitor blood pressure levels during exercise. An abnormal rise in blood pressure during exercise may be an alarming sign to make you aware of the fact that your resting blood pressure may also increase. High blood pressure means increased risk for heart attack, stroke, renal failure and sudden death. Take care!