Most people who are not accustomed to strenuous exercise may experience abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is enlargement of the aortic artery in the abdominal cavity. If left unaddressed, you can rupture it and develop internal bleeding and die within minutes to hours, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, most of the symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm are not noticed or detected until pain develops in your spine or abdominals during strenuous exercise.
Characteristics
The aorta is the largest artery in your body. It carries blood from the left ventricle of your heart, down your abdominal cavity and to both sides of your legs. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is the enlargement of the aorta due to weakness of the aortic structure, causing a distention of the aorta like a balloon, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Strenuous exercise is any form of exercise that raises your heart rate between 75 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, according to exercise physiologist William McArdle. At this intensity, the rate of oxygen your body consumes is less than the rate of carbon dioxide your body expels. This causes a lactate buildup in your muscles, causing fatigue, exhaustion and muscle cramps. Sample exercises include sprinting, one minute of intensity boxing, heavy weightlifting and rock climbing.
Causes
Arteriosclerosis is a type of heart disease in which the normal lining of the arteries deteriorates, the arterial walls thicken, and deposits of plaque block the blood flow through the aorta. This increases your blood pressure and speeds up the aneurysm process, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Other causes of abdominal aortic aneurysm include injury to the abdominal cavity, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and infections to the aorta.
Strenuous Exercise
Most strenuous exercises place pressure upon your abdominal cavity when you lift a heavy object or maintain balance while moving. According to a 2003 study by Dr. John A. Elefteriades and associates published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association," five patients who had aortic dissection, which is a small tearing of the aorta, participated in a study about the relationship between weightlifting and strenuous exercise with aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections. Two patients did push-ups, one patient pushed a heavy granite structure and two patients did various weight-training exercises. All patients developed aortic dissection and aneurysms. Therefore, you should avoid strenuous exercises if you have abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Prevention
The best way to avoid abdominal aortic aneurysm is to do regular exercise daily, adopt a low fat and low cholesterol diet, minimize alcohol intake and stop smoking permanently, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This prevents heart disease, which initiates the aneurysm process.
Expert Insight
Avoid exercises that flex and extend your spine, because they place excessive pressure in your aorta and abdominal cavity, according to McArdle. These exercises include sit-ups, crunches, back extensions and leg lifts. Consult with a physical therapist or exercise professional to customize an exercise program for your condition.
References
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance"; William McArdle; 2001
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Weight Lifting and Rupture of Silent Aortic Aneurysms; John A. Elefteriades, MD, et al; Dec. 3, 2003
- Cleveland Clinic; Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
