About 33 percent of American adults have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical professionals often refer to high blood pressure as a silent killer because its victims usually do not know they have it. High blood pressure during exercise serves as a warning for future hypertension. A stress test evaluates the state of your cardiovascular health and risk for heart disease by measuring different components of your circulatory system, including blood pressure. Your doctor will interpret the results of your stress test and let you know if your blood pressure remains within normal limits during exercise.
Blood Pressure
Doctors report your blood pressure in two numbers, systolic and diastolic pressure. The systolic value describes how much pressure your blood applies to your blood vessels while you heart is mid-pump. The diastolic number measures the pressure your blood exerts when your heart is at rest. Medical professionals express your blood pressure readings as a ratio of systolic over diastolic. Your doctor usually measures your blood pressure while you are at rest, but determining your blood pressure during exercise gives your physician insight into what is going on inside your veins when you engage in physical activity.
Endothelial Cells
It is normal for your blood pressure to go up a little bit when you exercise. An increase in physical activity calls on your heart to pump blood more rapidly to speed the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to your body cells. More blood flow results in an increase in pressure against the walls of your blood vessels. The endothelial cells in a healthy person's blood vessels dilate slightly to handle the increased blood flow, resulting in lower pressure against vessel walls. Extremely high blood pressure during exercise indicates stiffness in the endothelial, or innermost, layer of your blood vessels.
Systolic Readings
Your systolic blood pressure is likely to climb more than your diastolic readings during exercise because the diastolic reading measures pressure while your heart is at rest. The systolic blood pressure norm during exercise is 200 mg/dL according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Exceeding this normal range during exercise, a condition known as exercise hypertension, is a known risk factor for serious hypertension while at rest. Elevations in diastolic readings indicate elevated hypertension risk.
Benefits
In the long run, regular exercise lowers your blood pressure. Vigorous physical activity strengthens your heart muscles in the same way lifting weights improves power in your arms. A strong heart pumps more blood easily, reducing the pressure exerted against your arteries.
