Exercise improves your heart's pumping efficiency and its ability to deliver blood all over your body. Normally, during exercise, blood pressure increases to keep pace with the increased demand for oxygen but, for some, this increase in blood pressure can be exaggerated. An abnormally high spike in blood pressure experienced by a generally healthy person during a workout is known as a "exercise hypertension."
Blood Pressure
When your heart beats, it pumps blood from inside its chambers to the large arteries. As a result, your blood pressure rises. At it height, this pressure is referred to as systolic pressure. When your heart relaxes, chambers in it fill with blood, and your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure is determined by the force your heart's contraction times the resistance in your blood vessels. Normal blood pressure, at rest, is 120 mmHg when your heart contracts and 80 mmHg when it relaxes.
Causes
Individuals who suffer from exercise hypertension have arteries that do not expand as much as normal arteries when blood is pumped to them. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported a study in 2004 that found that poor blood vessel expansion was associated with the impaired ability of endothelial cells, which control large blood vessel relaxation. The relaxation of blood vessels is a necessary requirement for expansion.
The researchers also suggested that impaired endothelial function is not only related to high blood pressure. It is also associated with aging, menopause, high cholesterol levels, smoking and diabetes, and may be a common process for developing other related heart diseases.
Normal Range
Your systolic pressure shouldn't rise too much above 180. However, according to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a physician, it is normal for blood pressure to rise to up to 200 mmHg over 80 mmHg during running and to 300 mmHg over 200 mmHg while doing leg presses with very heavy weights. Individuals who suffer from exercise hypertension may see their systolic pressure spike at 250 mmHg or higher during maximal exercise.
Health Implications
Systolic pressure that rises above 200 mmHG can increase the risk of a dangerous event, auch as a heart attack. Individuals with exercise hypertension also are more prone to develop hypertension later in life. Some experts believe this large spike in blood pressure indicates early signs of artery disease, arteriosclerosis, according to Patient Health International.
Prevention/Solution
If you are experiencing exercise hypertension, consult with a physician to find specific activities or programs that allow you to exercise within a recommended range . Dr. Gabe Mirkin advocates a heart-attack prevention program that includes a diet high in plant matter and low in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, regular exercise, losing weight if you are overweight, not smoking and avoiding stimulants and drugs that raise blood pressure. Your exercise maybe be limited initially, but as you get in shape, your cardiovascular system will be conditioned to handle more strenuous activities.
