Hypertension and Weight Lifting, Doc tells me to find another sport

[gimmefood]

First a liitle background info, I am 22 years old 6'0 230lbs 10%bf.

My blood pressure has always come out a little high since as long as I can remember...even during my junior high years. I dismissed it as just being nervous etc, but this year I bought a BP cuff and measured myself at home. It constantly came out at about 160/90mmHg. So finally I went to see a doc, and after thorough testing, we ruled out any causes of secondary hypertension. He prescribed some meds for me(low-dose) and my BP immediately went down to 130/60mmHg, and it's holding steady now.

But the thing is, the doc suggested that I find another sport instead of bodybuilding to participate in. Even now in the offseason, I am currently doing cardio 3 times/week@30min, but he says I would do better participating in aerobic type sports...

I know that holding your breath(Valsalva maneuver) during heavy squats and deads can raise BP tremendously. I really don't want to give up bodybuilding. I know I'm not gonna turn pro any time soon, but I have already done this thing for 6years and it is a part of my life...

Is there anything I can do to continue bodybuilding? Such as go higher reps and less weight( although I wouldn't like that very much). Some input would be appreciated bros

 

[xcelbeyond]

I believe that weight trainining (places a heavy exursion on the body) is anaroebic, which does increase BP. High rep can also be "high intensity", which I believe will net the same effect

I've met several people over the years that were serious about lifting and discovered the same thing as you. They just followed doc's advice.

 

[Paul Bunyan]

Just about every doc out there is gonna tell you to quit lifting weights, mine included. They all think that aerobic fitness is the only measure of health. That's bullshit! You need to be well rounded in your fitness efforts. I think it would be a wise idea for you to give up caffeine and other stimulants if you use them. I used to be a caffeine junky but now my limit is 2 cups of coffee in the morning and that's it. My BP dropped quite a bit just from that.

PB

 

[gimmefood]

What my doc said was, heavy lifting doesn't directly cause hypertension, but it temporarily raises it during exertions. In the long run, he says, it will not do my cardiovascular system any good, especially since I am hypertensive.

The BP can be controlled as long as I take my meds but I am also concerned about things like left ventricular hypertrophy, which may present itself with constant heavy lifting.

It's a dilemma for me. Giving up lifting would be quite a psychological loss...and if I lift at all, it would be difficult to limit myself to "moderate" lifting..hmmm...

Oh and stimulants are now out of the question for me. They are not really needed anyways and I don't particularly enjoy the jitteriness.

Paul, what is you BP at now, if you don't mind me asking. Just curious as I think I read on a post that you are hovering around 300lbs...

 

[mammoth]

Well, I would say that you have a personal decision to make. I don't think that the Doc is necessarily pulling anything out of his arse, however doctors tend to weigh heavily on the cautious side due to malpractice suits. Not saying he doesn't care but I think most doctors will err on the side of caution due to fear. So being that there is some truth to what he said, is your longterm health worth it?

I weigh 365lbs and my BP is normal. I have heard that hypertension can be genetic but there are alot of other factors that play into hypertension. You could try cutting out any and all stimulants (coffee, excess sugar) out of your diet and maybe work on relaxing more at home and at work. Make sure you are getting a full 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Leave the stress in the gym. If that doesn't help then I would heed the doctors warning and choose another sport.

 

[joshbarnett]

i would find a new doctor who truly understands weight training. if your BP is under control with meds i dont see why you shouldnt be able to train the way you want but then again i am not a doctor. your BP will rise while training but should subside shortly thereafter.

 

[xcelbeyond]

I don't think that the Doc is necessarily pulling anything out of his arse, however doctors tend to weigh heavily on the cautious side due to malpractice suits. Not saying he doesn't care but I think most doctors will err on the side of caution due to fear. So being that there is some truth to what he said, is your longterm health worth it?

I'm pretty sure of this too - docs err on the side of caution. Everyone I knew who quit was from "genetic" hypertension, not from drug use (I'm pretty sure none of them used). It's a tough decision for sure.

 

[PHIL HERNON]

I have an idea

Listen to your doctor. Every year of AAS use and heavy lifting, you lose kidney function. If you dont believe me, have a creatine clearance test done everty year. You are on borrowed time, we all are. What is more important, getting bigger or living longer? Getting bigger is great, but at what expense. It is not for everyone.

 

[huge-inc]

I hear ya

I have had hypertension since I was young...(44 now)started taking care of it around the age of 25...my Dr told me to work out...yes your bp goes up while your are training...but most anything elevates your bp...traing helps in the long run...I'm also on meds...one time I went to the Dr..says my bp looked good ...asked about my diet...I said my diet was shit,but training real hard. I have a new problem,that thro ugh years of unchecked hypertension when I was younger..I had a brian anuersm....now my nuersurgeon wants me to stop training...but I will work around it.....anyways find another doctor...training will keep your bp in check...I made it thru 9 hours of surgery(brian for annie) with out any complications...they beliveve my bb training was a big part.If you are looking at gear....theres were you have to pay attention.....and diet helps

 

[BigBoyJ]

Well, first of all for the doctor to say that weight training does nothing for the cardiovascular system is bullshit. Many recent studies have shown that strength training elicits the same benefits for the cardiovascular system as cardio exercise. And yes, heavy weight training will cause an accute increase in bp, but accute increases will not cause you a problem. In the big scheme of things, weight training has a positive effect on bp. Chronic high bp can cause a loss of kidney function, but again, the accute increase in bp will not cause any loss of kidney function. Androgenic steroids, sodium, stimulants and shit like that are what you need to avoid, not training. I would recommend finding a good sports medicine doctor. They tend to be in better touch with these types of things than your average doc.

 

[Paul Bunyan]

My current weight is 329lbs. Last time I checked my BP was 127/72 and my resting heart rate is typically 65-70bpm. I take 25mg/day of Atenolol for my blood pressure. I try to walk atleast 1 mile per day to keep the old ticker healthy. I have been training heavy for the last 26 years. During that time I was also involed in long distance cycling as well as being on the Crew team in college. I am currently trying to get my weight down to 300-305 instead of the 275 I was shooting for before. I just can't justify starving myself to get my weight that low. You have to work on all aspects of fitness(aerobic and anaerobic) as well as keeping your diet in-check.

I have learned from all of my years of activity that when you focus on just one thing( strength, bodybuilding, running,etc) you can lose functionality. By this I mean that you are just good at one thing. Exercise is supposed to enhance the other aspects of your life and make everything easier and more enjoyable.

PB