Hello Friends! I am pleased to be back with more science info. I am a huge nerd and long time readers know I have never professed to be anything else. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two conditions that are common for trainers to need to work with. So let’s dive in.
As with last month’s discussion on diabetes and exercise, I believe that trainers and exercisers alike need access to science backed information that is easily understood and used. This article will be linked in the Wellness Toolbox for ease of search as well. The first step in this process is, in my opinion, having a good handle on what is happening in the body from a physiological standpoint.
Physiology
The mechanisms that cause high blood pressure are not well known. In fact, many people with hypertension have no identifiable cause and no identifiable symptoms. The short of it is that something is causing there to be too much outward pressure on the blood vessels as the blood flows through. Under 120/80 is ideal. 130/90 is borderline and above 140/90 is considered high.
High cholesterol, on the other hand, is typically the result of genetic factors or diet. High cholesterol is a catch all that can result from high readings of total cholesterol (under 200), LDL cholesterol (under 100), or triglyceride (under 150) numbers. Additionally, if HDL numbers are very low (under 40) that can signal issues even if the other numbers are fine. Over time, these molecules in the blood stick to vessel walls and can cause issues.
The catch with high blood pressure and high cholesterol is that these are risk factors for each other. Meaning if you have one, you are at an increased risk for developing the other condition as well. The double whammy is that both of these conditions can result in some major cardiovascular issues including stroke, heart attack, and peripheral vascular disease. In short, both of these conditions cause the blood to not circulate optimally through the body. Blood brings oxygen and water and removes carbon dioxide and waste, which every single cell in the body needs to function.
Exercise as Medicine
The good news is that one of the easiest ways to change the course of these two conditions is through exercise and movement. As I have said many times before, part of the amazingness of exercise is that it asks the body to get better and more efficient at things. And with these two conditions, the name of the game is getting the body better at moving blood.
Neither high blood pressure nor high cholesterol are conditions that come with a lot of symptoms in the early stages. It’s usually not until these have been romping around the body for a good while or have progressed to a more intense stage that symptoms appear. Typical with both are headaches, dizziness, and chest or lower leg pain.
If symptoms are present, it is best to keep exercise to lower intensities and shorter, more frequent bouts. Three ten minute sessions of walking is a very straightforward place to start.
If symptoms aren’t present, you are aiming for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. Ideally, it is better to move most days of the week. When we are trying to manage any condition and see the benefits of exercise, more frequently is usually the better way to go. This, of course, applies to cardiovascular exercise.
While we don’t usually talk about strength training in relation to heart disease, I know you won’t be surprised when I tell you that I think it’s important. One caveat here, though, is that breath control plays an extra critical role. If breath is held, blood pressure can skyrocket which is less than ideal. On the same token, really heavy weight can have a similar effect.
But engaging in strength work for each muscle group at least two times per week places a different physiological demand on the body. Blood needs to be routed directly to working muscle, which requires most blood vessels to very slightly constrict while the vessels at the working muscle must dilate to properly direct flow. You don’t want blood headed to your biceps if you are trying to squat.
In addition, strength training causes mechanical stress on the body. These mechanical stresses result in microtears in the muscle protein that must be repaired. To repair this, the blood needs to get to the muscle to provide amino acids and nutrient support. Nutrient support comes, in part, from cholesterols which are used to form cell membranes. The same cell membranes that need to be repaired.
With both strength work and cardiovascular exercise, the heart is pumping blood through the body at an increased rate. A natural consequence of this is that blood flows through the kidneys and liver which are the processing stations of the body. By just being active, the body is able to better assess where it is and if things need to be excreted or adjusted. Over time, the body is able to better regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.
As long as symptoms aren’t present, individuals with high blood pressure or high cholesterol can engage in any exercise they enjoy and tolerate well. As the body is asked to work harder under exercise conditions, it learns to manage the pressures inside the blood vessels and use cholesterols for repair of tissues.
Until next time, move well friends!
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