My blood pressure - normal? What's yours?

[Kyle Courville]

I was wondering if I should be concerned about my blood pressure. It seems to stay at about 130/62, and my pulse stays about 60. I have had it measured by machines at drug stores, an athletic trainer, and in class by other students. The trainer and students commented that my heart beat was very loud - the loudest in the class. I am 17, active, about 5'9", and about 145 lbs.

I have looked into it and it seems that it may be somewhat common among strength athletes. I was wondering if others on here know their average blood pressure. Please post it if you do. Also does anybody know of any studies where the blood pressure was taken of different types of athletes?

[Joshua Naterman]

130 would indicate that you either have smaller than normal arteries (likely due to inflammation if this were the case, which is the beginning of atherosclerosis) or that there is some plaque building up somewhere in the arteries. Best thing to do is to make whatever positive dietary changes you can and then re-test in 6-12 months. It takes a long time for the build-up to go away once it's there, just like it doesn't build up overnight. Steady state (LSD: long slow distance) work will help a lot, as it will cause an increase in HDL particles. HDL particles pull fats out of the blood, so anything you do to increase fatty acid oxidation with exercise will cause a corresponding increase in the body's ability to transport fatty acids out of the blood, and that is what will clear out arteries. Not trying to scare you, but you are certainly in pre-hypertension. It is a good idea to do something about that now as opposed to later.

Mine stays at 100-105/55-65 pretty much no matter what, though if I am nervous it will be 120/60-70. I only clock in 2 miles per day at a jog, but I eat very close to perfect most of the time and it shows with the blood pressure. Prevention > cure.

A lot of strength athletes don't eat the way they should, which may be a part of that anecdotal statistic.

[Kyle Courville]

Thanks for the help, Joshua. I am still dialing in my nutrition. It's been a long process. Would HIIT be a good substitute for LSD work? LSD absolutely kills my explosiveness.

[Joshua Naterman]

Part of that statistic also has to do with physiological adaptations to different blood pressures. It is not uncommon, during near-maximal exertions, for blood pressure to spike up over 2.5-3x normal. For this reason, weightlifter aortas become stiffer to resist such large increases in pressure.

Endurance athletes, on the other hand, need flexible blood vessels because they need a huge volume of blood flow by comparison. Their aortas become much more compliant and flexible (distendible is the word you'll find in literature) because they do not experience large increases in blood pressure compared to power athletes.

You can certainly train both attributes. The same thing happens with cardiac tissue. When you do high intensity stuff your heart walls become thicker and stronger, and when you do endurance training the chambers themselves increase in volume and become more flexible.

[Joshua Naterman]

Thanks for the help, Joshua. I am still dialing in my nutrition. It's been a long process. Would HIIT be a good substitute for LSD work? LSD absolutely kills my explosiveness.

For this purpose? Unknown, but probably not. See my above post.

LSD work should not bother you. It may slow you down for 1-2 months while you get used to the extra work, but you aren't trying to work particularly hard with LSD, just jog/run for 30-60 minutes at a slow steady pace. It is the sustained workload, more than the effort level, that seems to do the trick. Having rest periods doesn't give the same adaptations.

HIIT absolutely improves performance, but through different means, and can certainly give a positive impact to blood pressure, but again through somewhat different means.

You don't need a ton of LSD work, but that's up to you.

What kind of athlete are you? What sports?

[Ryan Libke]

I had the similar numbers for a long time, even when I was in the best shape I have been in. I tried different diets, but I was never able to get the numbers down. Eventually I was prescribed BP medication, which I take diligently, in addition to diet and exercise, and my numbers have improved. BP is not something to take lightly...it takes a toll on the vessels. I have been reading What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension by Mark Houston, et al., which offers a good explanation of the effects of elevated BP and some of the chemical dynamics.

[Kyle Courville]

What kind of athlete are you? What sports?

Well, I don't play sports anymore, but I did play baseball(catcher and pitcher) and football(kicker) in high school. I graduated in May. However, I still consider myself an athlete, and I plan to stay active. In addition to gymnastic training, I am considering taking a martial art, working out with the track team, or joining an olympic weightlifting club in college.

My training consist of very little to no cardio right now besides jumping rope in my warm up. I currently work at a strenuous job outside. The temperature gets into the upper 90s, and the humidity is very high. It is very taxing on me because I don't do well in the heat. I actually had to stop training altogether at the beginning of the summer just to adjust to my job. I slowly began to workout on weekends, and I only began to workout consistently last week. My job forces me to keep my training volume low right now. Fortunately, I only have to deal with that for one more month.

On a side note, I haven't actually checked my blood pressure in about two or three weeks. I may find a store tomorrow and see what it actually is right now.

[Kyle Courville]

Wolf with one Ear, I remember Charles Poliquin also recommended that book. I will definitely have to get a copy.

[Larry Roseman]

Kyle, your diastolic (second) number is quite normal. The systolic (first) number tends to be influenced by external conditions more than the low number. It's may mean you are excited or anxious about something. That alone could account for the elevated readings.

I also had blood pressure readings on the high side, varying around 130-140 to 80-90. This range is not high blood pressure, but pre-hypertension or high-normal as it used to be called. Bascially, the Dr's at that time did not give it a lot of worry, and suggested that I watch my salt intake. Also, they suggested it might be "white coat syndrome" which means just getting a little nervous about having it taken.

Normally when "you" take your blood pressure at a Dr's or at a drug store you are walking in and getting it done. You are not sitting and getting acclimated for 5 or more minutes. Yet, just sitting and getting in a relaxed state can make the difference between normal and high. I did a BP study at a university where the protocol called for taking readings SIX times prior to and following light endurance exercise of about only 15 mins. A 5 minute relax period occured between readings. It showed me that after the 3rd reading before exercise my BP was normal (after about 15 minutes of chilling). After exercise it was right away normal, and then gradually drifted up by the time of the last reading.

Before taking drugs, and drugs are NEVER (or should never be) presribed to someone in your range, it's worthwhile making behaviour modifications for six months to a year. I've done a regular endurance work since the study and my BP is usually now in the 110-120 to 60-75 range, and pulse under 50. I also lost weight and improved my diet, take fish oil and do strength work. So it's difficult to point to one single thing, but the biggest drop I noted was after doing endurance work especially running. I just do 2-3x / week for 40-50 minutes usually.

Also, having a high pressure job or high intensity exercise can send it flying at least temporarily. Water retention matters (salt, creatine). Also, it's difficult to say if you have a problem or not without getting readings under controlled conditions. If you have insurance you may be able to get a BP monitor for 24 hours. BP rises and falls throughout the day and that would provide useful information to the physcian. Or you could get a personal machine for around $50 and do readings 3-5x day. But I personally would avoid reaching a conclusion based on hapazard readings, done without being relaxed beforehand.

[MCem222]

Just to clarify, what is considered "normal" blood pressure? According to this chart, it says 120/80. Also, is lower better? I had my BP taken last at 100/60 last time at the doc's office.

Part of that statistic also has to do with physiological adaptations to different blood pressures. It is not uncommon, during near-maximal exertions, for blood pressure to spike up over 2.5-3x normal. For this reason, weightlifter aortas become stiffer to resist such large increases in pressure.

Are there positive or negative health consequences associated with this?

[Larry Roseman]

Just to clarify, what is considered "normal" blood pressure? According to this chart, it says 120/80. Also, is lower better? I had my BP taken last at 100/60 last time at the doc's office.

Part of that statistic also has to do with physiological adaptations to different blood pressures. It is not uncommon, during near-maximal exertions, for blood pressure to spike up over 2.5-3x normal. For this reason, weightlifter aortas become stiffer to resist such large increases in pressure.

Are there positive or negative health consequences associated with this?

There are both positive and negative health consquences associated with low blood pressure.

Too low (hypotension) might be below 90/60 and too high over 140/90 but there is no single "normal" reading. One reading doesn't tell the story as I mentioned above. You need multiple readings per day over a period of weeks ideally to get a full picture.

Yours isn't too low but if you are easily fatigued, generally tired or earily get dizzy or faint it may be a sign of something more serious. If your Dr wasn't concerned you shouldn't be though. Chances are it just means you're generally relaxed, well conditioned, have a strong heart and a responsive circulatory system. Partly it may be genetic. In either case it's one less risk factor to have to deal with, hopefully. I would monitor it over a longer period several times per day if you are more concerned.

[Joshua Naterman]

Just to clarify, what is considered "normal" blood pressure? According to this chart, it says 120/80. Also, is lower better? I had my BP taken last at 100/60 last time at the doc's office.

Part of that statistic also has to do with physiological adaptations to different blood pressures. It is not uncommon, during near-maximal exertions, for blood pressure to spike up over 2.5-3x normal. For this reason, weightlifter aortas become stiffer to resist such large increases in pressure.

Are there positive or negative health consequences associated with this?

Unknown. In general, physical activity makes you healthier.

THe guidelines for blood pressure have been adjusted, with normal now being considered 110/70. 120/80 is pre-hypertension, but the diastolic number is usually a better indicator of overall health than the systolic, as mentioned.

The OP is definitely prehypertensive, but also as mentioned there are a lot of factors. It is hard to take time to list them all when studying for finals, best to put the most likely out there first.

I think that the high stress of your job, physically speaking (don't know about mentally) is definitely having an effect on you. Hydration is key.

If you don't do well in the heat you probably don't get enough water + salt. This makes a massive, massive, massive difference and will help lower that systolic number as well by staying hydrated.

Over very long periods of time, that elevated systolic number can cause the ventricles to slowly replace muscle tissue with fibrotic tissue, and that makes it harder for your heart to work. Even if your diet is great, sometimes lifestyle stress and hydration issues can also cause issues. And, as a few people have mentioned, sometimes it's genetic.

You don't have anything to worry about in the short term, and your diastolic pressure is great which means you don't have any noticeable peripheral vascular disease and that's awesome.

This thread is full of good advice from many people, so

1) don't freak out, you're fine

2) work on salts and hydration. If you are physically active and work in the heat you need (seriously, now) 1-2 liters of water per hour in direct sunlight and probably .5-1 liter when working in hot areas that are shaded. You should put salt in your water, you need to shoot for an absolute minimum sodium intake of 2400 mg per day based on your activity level and the sweating that happens with that kind of heat exposure and physical exertion. Salt should be mixed in your water at 400-600mg per liter, or 1/4 teaspoon per liter or quart. That is 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water, and is the same mixture used in endurance sport beverages. It works wonders.

3) try to learn some relaxation techniques that you can use on the fly, and take 5-10 minutes before bedtime to just concentrate on your breathing with the lights out. You want to focus on the act of breathing itself, feeling and not thinking. Feel the ribs expand, feel your diaphragm move toward your hips when you breathe in and feel the air escape and your ribs contract back in as you breathe out. This will automatically lead to slower, deeper breathing and will help you sleep better which also leads to blood pressure improvements.

[Larry Roseman]

Josh, high-normal used to be 120-139, whereas now that is now called pre-hypertension. 110/70 is not the new normal actually though it is considered ideal. <120 and <80 are still considered normal. It's just above that until 140/90 is term pre-hypertension now instead of high normal. Edit: Most sources still call 120/80 normal although 119/79 technically is the upper range of it.

What's bad about the new term is that it implies that hypertension will always follow, but that isn't the case. It is a yellow flag though.

In any event, the OP's rise very much could be job related. Before accepting a diagnosis the OP should look into a longer term study , or behaviour modifications such as Josh proposed. In fact, I have a very cool machine called "resparate" that does guided breathing exercises (biofeedback) before you go to bed, or anytime really. It may have helped as well, though I don't need it any more. If you're interested in it let me know ... it cost around $199 and I would let it go for a fraction. PM me if interested! http://www.resperate.com

.. and a good night's sleep can also lower the sucker too. Good night

[Joshua Naterman]

Josh, high-normal used to be 120-139, whereas now that is now called pre-hypertension. 110/70 is not the new normal actually though it is considered ideal. <120 and <80 are still considered normal. It's just above that until 140/90 is term pre-hypertension now instead of high normal. Edit: Most sources still call 120/80 normal although 119/79 technically is the upper range of it.

What's bad about the new term is that it implies that hypertension will always follow, but that isn't the case. It is a yellow flag though.

In any event, the OP's rise very much could be job related. Before accepting a diagnosis the OP should look into a longer term study , or behaviour modifications such as Josh proposed. In fact, I have a very cool machine called "resparate" that does guided breathing exercises (biofeedback) before you go to bed, or anytime really. It may have helped as well, though I don't need it any more. If you're interested in it let me know ... it cost around $199 and I would let it go for a fraction. PM me if interested! http://www.resperate.com

.. and a good night's sleep can also lower the sucker too. Good night

Well, technically this is true. Normal is whatever the national weighted average is, and has nothing to do with what may or may not be healthy At least from a statistical perspective.

The word normal, in this instance, is just being used to indicate what we should have. Not all sources have updated to the new numbers, but they will eventually. And you're right, it's a range. What I mentioned is the mid-point, but anything under 120/80 is considered good as long as it isn't ridiculous like 90/50. It has been determined that risk fasctors rise rather rapidly with every 10 point rise over 120/75 or 115/75 or something like that. I JUST closed the study window last night...

I've heard great things about that device, how cool!

You're right, diagnoses are only in the moment anyways. Lots of people think that they are stuck with what the doctor tells them, and most doctors know that most people they see won't make the lifestyle changes necessary to reverse disease processes, but it can be done successfully by nearly everyone.

[Larry Roseman]

Good points. I did some further research and did learn something new. There was some actual movement of the bar as you said, and some playing with names as I suggested.

The NIH and Harvard Health now call 120-129 pre-hypertension, whereas it was "normal" before. 130-139 is also called pre-hpertension whearas it was called "high normal" (never normal) before. Clearly 123 is better than 137 but they are all grouped together now as pre-hypertension, which should be considered as a yellow flag, not a red one.

The normal range is defined by these major groups to be less than 120/80 but not less than 90/60, as you stated.

Perhaps 110/75 is the median or average of adult males although I would be surprised if it is that low given the

health of the nation. To me, it's more of an ideal.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updat ... 803a.shtml

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/bp/bp.htm

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health- ... opics/hbp/

This is an old chart, but still with useful information:

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicin ... ange-chart

[Joshua Naterman]

Yea, all the new naming stuff tends to confuse people.

I would be shocked if 110/75 was the average blood pressure in the US, quite honestly.

I think they are stating it as more of a quantitative "normal" or acceptable than a normative normal.

Health risk norms just don't matter at all, they are meaningless ways to make people feel good about what they are doing compared to their neighbors, I mean at this point the kids who are objectively in the best shape are normatively underweight.

[Kyle Courville]

Thanks for the help guys. I will keep an eye on my blood pressure, but I won't stress over it. I personally think it is a combination of physical job stress (which won't be a problem after 4 more weeks), too few veggies, and not enough downtime. I have a feeling it will go back to normal when I start college and have more time to relax.

I don't know when I'll get a chance to check my BP, but I'll post it here and in my workout log when I do.

[Kyle Courville]

Great news, I found out that my dad has an electronic sphygmomanometer. Now I can measure my blood pressure consistently and see how my lifestyle changes affect it. I was a little agitated when I took it, but I came out with a reading of 127/63 and a pulse of 57. Not bad except for my systolic.

[Larry Roseman]

Great news, I found out that my dad has an electronic sphygmomanometer. Now I can measure my blood pressure consistently and see how my lifestyle changes affect it. I was a little agitated when I took it, but I came out with a reading of 127/63 and a pulse of 57. Not bad except for my systolic.

Try to take it at a few set times during the day. For example, first thing in the morning, before bed and maybe after work or before dinner. Sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed (except upon waking). If you have time, take the cuff off and repeat the reading a few minutes later. Relax for a few minutes between readings so the vessels rebound to normal and the reading isn't skewed.

Also, you should generally be seated when taking it, the cuff at your heart level. So rest it on something at that height.

Make spreadsheet or just keep keep a log of your readings. It's a bit of a project but it's worth the effort.

It's good you're doing something now at your age.

[Nic Branson]

Just try not to stress over it. Changes take time, be patient and realize there are many many factors. One or two bad days does not mean a lack of progress at all. I normal sit around 100/60 give or take.